Curtain call the final act
by paws-bells
Summary: ItaSaku Sequel to heart strings. They were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer than never before. As long as hope never dies, life continues to blossom.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** Fallen-Tenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, BlueGreenApples

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 2840

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 07/03/08

**

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

**

_I think I'm drowning  
asphyxiated  
I wanna break this spell  
that you've created _

you're something beautiful  
a contradiction  
I wanna play the game  
I want the friction

you will be the death of me  
you will be the death of me

bury it  
I won't let you bury it  
I won't let you smother it  
I won't let you murder it

our time is running out  
our time is running out  
you can't push it underground  
you can't stop it screaming out

I wanted freedom  
bound and restricted  
I tried to give you up  
but I'm addicted

now that you know I'm trapped sense of elation  
you'd never dream of  
breaking this fixation

you will squeeze the life out of me

bury it  
I won't let you bury it  
I won't let you smother it  
I won't let you murder it

our time is running out  
our time is running out  
you can't push it underground  
you can't stop it screaming out  
how did it come to this?  
ooooohh

you will suck the life out of me

bury it  
I won't let you bury it  
I won't let you smother it  
I won't let you murder it

our time is running out  
our time is running out  
you can't push it underground  
you can't stop it screaming out  
How did it come to this?  
ooooohh 

—Lyrics from Time is Running Out, by Muse

* * *

When Kisame arrived at the charming little cottage that the kunoichi had claimed as her own, Itachi was already waiting outside with edgy impatience. It was not obvious to anyone of course; it was just that the Kiri-nin had been partners with the Uchiha for so many years that he had long since learned to recognize the different subtle nuances that the younger male would display. After all, the ability to anticipate the Sharingan-wielder's reactions never failed to make things easier for everybody involved. 

Kisame was hardly affected by the Uchiha's current bout of moodiness. Compared to what he had to put up with when they were still searching for the little Leaf's whereabouts, this was nothing. Besides—he had a good reason for his tardiness.

"I made some enquiries around the village," the tall blue-haired nin remarked as he ducked into the small entrance of the cottage, following his partner into the tiny home. "Apparently no one was aware of 'Midori-san's' ninja background. In addition to having an unfortunately deceased husband, she was also a civilian healer."

Looking around the cozy and tidy surroundings, Kisame lifted a non-existent brow. "It certainly explained why she chose the outskirts of this village to live in."

Finished with his brief survey of the living area, Kisame turned around just in time to see Itachi reemerge from one of the bedrooms. Cradled carefully in his arms was the expectant little kunoichi, a blanket draped over her rounded and clearly unconscious form.

Judging by the wary and terrified look on her face the last time he saw her, Kisame was willing to bet that her sleep wasn't a voluntary one. He wasn't foolish enough to ask for a confirmation, though.

"You planning on carrying her all the way back to the headquarters?" The shark man asked his partner instead.

Itachi inclined his head curtly.

"We are moving fast."

Kisame nodded in agreement. At their normal speed of travel they would reach the hideout in roughly a week. If the kunoichi was allowed to move by her own means in her current condition, it would probably take a month, perhaps more.

"She sleeping the whole way back?" It was going to be damn boring if it was so, and to think that Kisame had been so looking forward to talking with the feisty little Leaf-nin too.

His partner's question was completely ridiculous. Her need for nourishment was more crucial than ever now, and she had to be awake to take it.

"She will wake soon." Itachi started towards the exit of the cottage. If all goes according to plan they would be a fair distance away from here by the time she comes to. "We leave now."

Kisame merely shrugged and hefted the pack of supplies that had been prepared for the return trip.

* * *

It was just after noon when Sakura started to stir. 

Surrounded by warmth and oddly at ease with her surroundings, her body took its time adjusting between the realms of sleep and wakefulness. Lulled by a completely familiar scent of fresh rainwater, the kunoichi arched slightly to relieve the familiar pressure of her womb pressing insistently against her spine before settling back lazily against the warm surface that supported her.

She frowned slightly. Her bed seemed to be lumpier than she remembered but at the moment, her mind was just too groggy to wonder why.

But then when her bed shifted under her, the kunoichi knew immediately that something was wrong.

Beds do not move—and most definitely not hers.

It was as if her entire senseshad been splashed abruptly awake by an icy bucket of water. Sapphire blue eyes snapped open with alarm, and then—

They saw crimson

Itachi.

Everything rushed back to her in a brief second.

Kisame and _him_.

In her cottage.

Claiming her baby.

Forcing her unconscious with the Sharingan.

_Taking her baby to Akatsuki._

It all clicked into place. Her eyes widened and almost immediately, the pregnant female tried to push away from the father of her unborn child with wild panic. He allowed her to do no such thing.

"You will calm down or I will knock you out again." His uncharacteristically sharp command was successful in making her cease her futile struggles. Panting hard from her exertions, she froze and started to glare at him angrily.

They were currently resting under the sheltering shade of a large tree and she had been propped beside him earlier on, her body leaning fully against his for support as she used his unknowingly as a surface to doze on. It had also not escaped her notice that they were no longer in Wave country, and feeling as if she had just been forcibly extracted from the home that she had so painstakingly created for herself, she burst out in helpless rage.

"You have no right to do this!" she hissed, her blue eyes turbulent with chaotic emotions.

He stared at her quietly, her exact opposite in temperament.

"On the contrary; I have every right." His voice was calm.

She bristled defensively, still trapped by his side and inwardly furious that she had actually slept against him the entire while and had not known of it. He was now holding firmly to her, his long fingers effectively acting like unyielding manacles around her wrist, and it made her even angrier that she could be so easily restrained by him thusly.

"All you did was physically father my child," she growled out in a low, harsh whisper. "I didn't need you to take care of me. I got through the past six months of my pregnancy very well on my own. Again, what right do you have to come now and even think of enslaving my baby to your vile organization?"

In a single heartbeat, his seemingly placid expression changed.

His elegant features turned dark and forbidding, and his hold on her wrists started to pain her. She refused to flinch, only glaring defiantly at him with as much ferocity as she could muster.

"You carry my flesh and blood within you," he rasped, his normally lilting tone made almost guttural with his own increasing anger at her stubborn obstinacy. "From now on you belong completely to me. _I have every right_."

Once upon a time, she might have been secretly thrilled by that fierce possession in his voice. She would have been contented with the knowledge that even if he could never care for her the way she wanted him to, his blatant covetousness of her would at least prove that he wanted her nearby, in a way.

But now was no longer the past—now there was another person to consider: the wellbeing of the little one within her so important to Sakura that it would take immediate precedence over each and everything that she had once held so dear to. Her baby needed her complete protection; weak and utterly defenseless, it would have only her as its champion and she would not let it down.

The kunoichi snarled angrily. "You will _never_ own me."

It was clear that she would not back down without a fight and he returned her rage with a savage snarl of his own, bringing his face towards hers for the confrontation. "You are mine, Sakura. You were mine from the very moment you chose to turn your back against your _beloved_ Konoha."

She flinched at his contemptuous sneer of their birthplace.

"You are completely alone now. Defenseless." By now his voice was barely a whisper. "How will you protect our offspring in your current condition? How can you flee a pack of hunter-nins determined to bring you down, to take your head in for a bounty? Will you let our child die because of your foolish pride?"

Silence.

Staring at her frozen form with hard crimson eyes, he released her wrist abruptly. The bruising on her delicate skin was not lost on him and the Uchiha bit off a mental oath.

But she did not move away from him.

"You need me." His statement was flat, and so very true that she simply could not refute it. Sakura closed her eyes, defeated.

Seeing her like this did not sit well with him. The powerful Uchiha stood up soundlessly and started to walk away from the petite kunoichi, clearly allowing her some time to accept his permanent reentrance into her life.

Sakura listened to his movement as he treaded almost noiselessly to the edge of the clearing.

And then he stopped—and spoke; his voice calm and emotionless once more.

"Unless he chooses that path, Akatsuki will never sink its claws into our son."

The unspoken vow was there.

_I will make sure of it. _

* * *

It was obvious when Kisame returned to the clearing after his water gathering trip that something had changed. 

The kunoichi was finally awake and it appeared that she had finally come to terms with the fact that she was going to be taken to Akatsuki, like it or not. The atmosphere was still slightly tensed of course, but it was certainly nowhere near as bad as the terror that the Kiri-nin had witnessed in her eyes when she first saw Itachi.

Not that he would blame her; his partner could be one scary son of a bitch when he wanted to.

The brunette kunoichi lifted her head when she heard his approach to the clearing that they were temporarily stopping in, and he grinned unabashedly at the petite female when their eyes met. There was no outward reaction from Itachi; the Uchiha had sensed his presence even long before she had.

"Hello, little Leaf." The immensely tall shark man greeted almost cheerfully. "You are definitely looking a lot better compared to the last time I saw you."

Sakura looked at the powerful Kiri-nin; he appeared genuinely glad to see her again and despite herself her heart lightened a little.

"Hello, Kisame." She gave him a small, wan smile. It was all she could give at the moment, and luckily enough he understood that she wasn't exactly feeling over the moon at this most recent change of circumstance that had so rudely forced its way into her life.

Kisame squinted at the little female currently resting under the large, sheltering boughs of a tree. She looked mostly healthy, her figure softly rounded in her advancing stage of pregnancy. She was a little pale though, probably stressed by the abrupt change in environment as well as the company she was forced to keep. A fair distance away stood his prodigious partner, observing their interaction with seemingly careless disregard.

Kisame cleared his throat slightly and then dug around his packs of supplies before extending a recently filled water bottle to the kunoichi. "Here. You must be thirsty."

Sakura stared at the proffered water bottle, and when she didn't accept it immediately, the Kiri-nin frowned. "You need to drink," he insisted gruffly. "For the kid."

The kunoichi may be feeling quite miserable at the moment, but she would have to be blind and deaf not to detect the note of awkward concern in the man's voice. Slowly, she accepted the flask from the nukenin. Her tired smile became a little livelier. Grateful.

"Thank you, Kisame." It was as if she was thanking him for a lot more than the proffered water. Understanding, perhaps.

The blue-haired nin only nodded once, and then moved away from her to allow her space. Sakura unscrewed the bottle cap and took a small sip to whet her palate before eagerly drinking more.

When she was done, Kisame came forth once more to retrieve the bottle from her, stowing it safely within his packs once more. Then Itachi stepped forward and stopped before her.

"We will move out now."

* * *

"Er, yes? How can I help you?" 

Dr. Ichikawa Ryuji smiled hesitantly at the three men standing before him, feeling a serious sense of déjà vu as he regarded the people in front of him with a tint of wariness in his eyes.

There was a tall, lanky blonde with bright golden hair and what looked like whisker tattoos etched on his cheeks, followed by a slouchy looking male with dark, bored eyes and even darker hair that seemed to be sticking up all over the place like a pineapple. Lastly was the oldest male in the group, who had spiky silver hair and an almost droopy eye.

Yes, only one eye. Because the other was concealed by what looked like a lopsidedly placed hitai-ite.

They all wore forehead protectors; Ryuji saw as much from the very moment they entered the building, but it was the Konoha insignia that was proudly inscribed on each of the metal headbands that made him pause.

It was completely too coincidental that _she_ had come in with a Konoha hitai-ite as well.

That dreaded feeling of déjà vu increased exponentially.

The one-eyed nin asked politely, "Dr. Ichikawa-san, you had a patient named Haruno Sakura, am I correct?"

Ryuji nodded immediately, patient confidentiality be-damned. The last time one of these nins came asking about that particular pink-haired kunoichi he had very nearly lost his life in the process. Ryuji was not keen on repeating that experience anytime soon.

"Yes, we had. But like I told that gentleman nearly one month ago; Haruno-san had healed herself completely after she recovered from her chakra exhaustion and was discharged soon after."

The blonde, who had been fidgeting the entire while, finally burst out in relieved questions. "So Sakura-chan is alright? She is healthy and has survived her injuries? When did she leave?"

Before the poor doctor could be barraged by even more questions, the silver-haired shinobi laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Naruto," he admonished calmly. "Let Ichikawa-san finish speaking."

Reluctantly, the seemingly excitable blonde quieted down at last whereas an exasperated roll of eyes could be detected from the last nin, who had so far still been silent throughout the entire exchange.

When it was obvious that Naruto would not be interrupting again, Kakashi nodded at the young doctor. "Please go on, Ichikawa-san."

Ryuji nodded immediately. He could not help but notice that this group of nins appeared completely non-threatening compared to that utterly terrifying aura of the shinobi who had came an entire month before them. Just remembering the sheer presence of the tall, raven-haired nin, made shivers run up and down the spine of the good doctor. He would never forget his close brush with Death for as long as he lived; he had no doubt that any man who was so capable of generating such an overpowering amount of killing intent would also have no trouble committing murder.

His encounter with that dangerous nin made his current situation with this group of polite Leaf shinobis look like a walk in the park.

But then again, they _are_ ninjas. Pleasant could change into deadly in a single heartbeat, and Ryuji really had no wish to risk his life again. The accommodating doctor quickly spilled all that he knew.

"Haruno-san left the hospital exactly a week after she was brought in and that was the last we saw of her."

There was a brief pause as everyone digested the facts and mentally calculated a timeline.

"So it has been almost three months since she was here." Naruto appeared completely crestfallen.

Once again, Ryuji nodded. Before he could elaborate on the condition of the kunoichi though, the pineapple-haired male finally spoke up.

"You mentioned earlier that there was a 'gentleman' who had also asked about her a month ago." Behind that seemingly lazy gaze hid an unbelievably keen awareness. "Can you still recall anything about him?"

Ryuji really did shudder this time, and his action was not lost on the nins.

"Yes, I do." The doctor admitted immediately. "I don't think I will ever forget it."

When no further elaborations were given, Shikamaru frowned.

"Well? Can you tell us more?" The lazy genius probed. "What did he look like? What did he ask?"

Ryuji still remembered the encounter as if it had just happened yesterday.

"He was tall and lean. I recall that he was a very distinctive individual; dressed completely in black. Obsidian eyes, long raven hair but it was tied at the nape-" Ryuji was busy gesturing just where the nape was and didn't notice the way all three nins stiffened with recognition. "I'm very sure that the gentleman is a shinobi as well." The doctor admitted in a hushed voice. "A very powerful nin. He was leaking so much killing intent when he found out that Haruno-san was no longer in the hospital."

Ryuji paused, and seemed to be thinking about something.

Before either of the nins could ask more, he continued to reiterate his encounter.

"He was very intimidating to speak to and oh, I'm not really sure how but his eyes could change colors—they turned blood red when I told him that Haruno-san was three months pregnant when she was brought in."

Stunned silence, then—

"_WHAT_?!!"

_

* * *

::tsuzuku::

* * *

_

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Finally! (I can just hear you guys saying that, by the way. Or grumping.) She has uploaded the first installment for Curtain call! Well, many thanks for all your patience (as thinly stretched as that must have become) and I hope that you were not disappointed for your wait. The subsequent chapters will get a little longer than this and don't worry; I'm planning to post new chapters at least once a week.

Remember how I used to bemoan that 'silk kimono' was the longest one-shot that I had ever written? Well, Curtain call is going to take over the new record. I'm only four-fifths done with it and the unedited version is already about to exceed 50,000 words. Hope you guys are happy!

And well, Curtain call is rated 'M' for a very good reason too. You will see, haha!

---

I know I have never used a theme song or any such thing to my fics before but I just cannot help it this once. To be honest, I freely admit to being a complete music nut and I will get grumpy without my daily fix of tunes. Time is Running Out was playing when I was in the midst of writing Curtain Call, and I was completely struck by how it fit the theme of this fic. Heck, I think it's a song that would agree with all ItaSaku fans out there.

I see that I have caught some of your attentions. Want to listen to it? Not saying anything much, but you may get a surprise if you are willing to poke around the links on my profile!

---

I'm sure that you smart, detail-orientated people out there have already sniffed out the presence of my new betas. You are right. FallenTenshi, BlueGreenApples as well as MelissaRose85 have joined ItachixSakura Forever as my team of dedicated QC people. Do give them lots of love!

I'd also like to give my thanks and overwhelming appreciation to everyone who had been so kind enough to volunteer for the beta positions, as well as how understanding you guys had been when I had to regretfully turn down your generous offers:

KatH

BlueIceWolf

Protected by an Angel

Unrequitedblossom

ChrnosMiko

Chaerring Trinity

Angels Falls8

Anariel Tindomerel

shinkirux

fionfee

Reddragon13x

Quiet Moon

Fire Valkyria

DotOnTheSpot

Cassi

Youkai Goddess

SasukeSakuraxXXxItachiSakura

**Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!!**

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, BlueGreenApples, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 3432

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 14/03/08

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

They arrived at the Akatsuki hideout on the dusk of the sixth day, and by then Sakura was completely exhausted by the intense travel. 

And she hadn't even been doing much other than for remaining docilely within Itachi's arms as he efficiently did the work of transporting them to the headquarters, occasionally nibbling on preserved fruits and sweet meats when her hunger pangs called out to her.

She could not help but tense up the first time he easily picked her up as if she hardly weighed a thing, though. As much as it made perfect sense that it would be a lot easier for her to travel thusly rather than walking on her own, the kunoichi had been completely uncomfortable with his proximity.

It has been so long after all, since she had voluntarily neared him.

But Itachi didn't seem to notice her apprehension, or if he did he simply didn't care, and eventually she relaxed into his lean, taut form, easing her pregnancy strained muscles against him for some semblance of relief. Sakura had quickly learned that it was extremely difficult and tiring to remain stiff against a moving body for long periods of time and the kunoichi promptly gave up by the end of their first day of travel.

She was seven months pregnant and she didn't really care where she got comfortable as long as she _was_ comfortable.

Beside them, Kisame would easily keep pace with his partner. The shark man was in charge of carrying the supplies and more often that not he would be pestering the little kunoichi to eat this, drink that, and rest. Sakura was completely bewildered and nonplussed as the nearly seven feet tall Kiri-nin changed from one of the deadliest Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Bloody Mist into an overgrown, overanxious nanny, albeit a rather blue one.

Truly, Sakura would have laughed at the situation if she didn't happen to be smack right in the middle of it. Never in her wildest imaginations would she have dreamt that something like this would happen to her—being taken care of by some of the worst and blood thirstiest S-class missing-nins in the world, and she was stunned to realize that they were doing a rather good job while they were at it too.

She was well fed, always hydrated and toilet breaks were a completely frequent occurrence but none of the men had said anything about it. The group of three never failed to stop over at civilian villages whenever it was time to settle down for the night, procuring rooms from highly respectable inns so that she could rest in relative comfort in order to recover from the exhaustive journey.

Sakura really couldn't imagine that the two missing-nins would have stayed in the villages if not for her presence. It was completely risky to remain in civilized areas for prolonged durations; chances of confrontations with hunter-nins were too high and consecutive nights of staying at different villages would make them easy to track down by any who were determined enough.

But she was the main priority in this journey, and her wellbeing came first. Additional stress would affect the fetus developing within her womb, and so it was imperative that her discomfort was minimized. The oinins would be dealt with if they came, and that was that.

So they had her stay in various inns and hotels as they continued their travel. However, as unaffected as they appeared by the situation, Sakura knew that they took no chances, always keeping an eye out, making sure that there would be no danger catching them off guard.

Therefore by the time they arrived at the Akatsuki hideout, she was no longer the only one feeling edgy.

Poor Kisame was literally green around the gills after all the long night watches that he had pulled consecutively over the week and even Itachi's seemingly infinite strength and willpower was stretched thin, if the lines of stress etched deeper on his face was of any indication. It didn't help matters at all that the Uchiha could give _paranoia_ an entirely new meaning—every little thing and person that walked past them was a suspect until proven innocent and it was sheer hell doing guard work with him.

Kisame was abruptly reminded just why their team was more suited to direct confrontation assassinations, heavy reconnaissance and even torture and interrogation compared to guarding and defense.

Itachi was just too extraordinarily good at it, so much so that he could complicate a simple Class C escort assignment and make it look like a mission from hell. Granted, the Uchiha's overly suspicious nature had saved his skin dozens of time, but it was still no surprise that the Kiri-nin was completely relieved when they finally arrived in Ame.

The Akatsuki headquarters.

Sakura was completely apprehensive. It had been such a long time since she was last here, and worry for the baby nestled within her grew.

The now pink-haired again kunoichi agitatedly laid a calming hand over her rounded belly as she followed Itachi and Kisame into the humongous network of caverns and underground tunnels that made up the Akatsuki's hideout, having insisted to be let down to walk for the remaining of their soon ending journey. Kisame had half joked if she was about to make a run for it, but that lousy attempt at humor quickly fell short.

Sakura was swiftly becoming a nervous wreck—and it clearly showed.

_He_ noticed, of course.

It was hard not to, especially since she hadn't been able to pay sufficient attention to her surroundings and had nearly tripped due to her carelessness.

Before she could react he was already holding on to her, long fingers wrapped securely around her wrist as he helped her regain her lost balance. Then he tugged her to his side. Completely surprised by the abrupt action she tottered and fell lightly against him.

"Let go of me!" she gasped softly.

"No."

Before she could say another word in protest he started to lead her purposefully down the corridor. Left with no choice, she followed blindly along. A few sharp turns and banks later they were down yet another dim hallway, but this time it was completely familiar to her. Kisame was no longer with them, having since retreated to his own private quarters the moment they entered the hideout and so she was now left completely alone with _him_.

They stopped before a shoji screen and when he pulled open the traditional wooden door, Sakura was greeted with yet another familiar sight. His personal suite of rooms.

Without much ado she was quickly guided into the expansive living area and promptly released. The kunoichi retreated deeper within the room immediately, and when he slipped the door shut and turned back to regard her she was already standing in the middle of the simple living area, looking at him with agitated eyes.

"You will remain here for the rest of your gestation period." His voice was quiet—but final. "You are allowed to decorate the entire suite to your tastes—the servants will help. Ask of them of anything you wish—they will be told to fulfill your every requirement."

Sakura stared at the Uchiha for a very long time, her eyes unconsciously searching that cold, dispassionate façade for clues to what he was thinking. There were none.

"…will I be allowed to go out?" she asked at last, tensing slightly and preparing herself for an intense argument if he denied her. There was no way she would willingly allow herself to be kept underground and locked here for the remaining months of her pregnancy.

To her inward relief, the Uchiha nodded. "You will be given free reign to wander the headquarters. Pein knows about you, and so do the rest of the Akatsuki. They would not dare touch you."

The unspoken implications were clear. Those who dared to even harm a hair on her head would have him to contend with—and he would be merciless.

Sakura was silent. If what Itachi promised was true, then this dreaded place would be a safe haven for her to nourish herself and prepare for the baby's arrival. She would no longer have to worry about hunter-nins or any other dangers of the shinobi kind—at least not for the moment.

The kunoichi didn't know what to say. In a way, Itachi had helped save her from a lot of trouble.

"…thank you."

He looked at her for a long time—and then he spoke.

"Ensure that the child within you develops healthily."

It was the only thing that was needed to be said, and without another word he turned and left the room.

* * *

Sakura did not see him for two weeks. 

After that day Itachi deposited her in the Akatsuki base, he seemed to have disappeared completely into obscurity. He never came back to his suite and Sakura never saw him on her random strolls around the expansive grounds of the headquarters either. Kisame was still hanging around the area though, and the tall Kiri-nin would drop by at least once a day to keep the lonely kunoichi company. The one time Sakura enquired about the Uchiha's extended absence his partner had refused to tell her just what the raven-haired male was up to; he had casually waved her concerns aside and mentioned that Itachi was 'just seeing to some Akatsuki affairs'.

Sakura had stopped asking then. She was afraid to know.

Thankfully, most of the kunoichi's melancholy had been temporarily suppressed in the face of the busy redecorations going on in her new home. Surprisingly enough, Kisame had quite an eye for detail and the two spent a most interesting week rearranging the furniture and refurbishing the interior of the rooms to something that would suit her tastes more—as well as prepare a room for the nursery.

By the time they were almost completed Sakura was extremely pleased with the new look. The stern lines and distinctly, masculine design of the entire suite had been altered completely, becoming less impersonal and a lot homier; designed for sheer comfort—and baby proofed, of course.

The nursery was still not completely done yet but Sakura had stubbornly insisted on finishing the decorations herself. Luckily, Kisame had understood that she was currently nesting and had quietly left her to her own devices for that remaining week. The nursery had originally been a spare bedroom that Sakura had decided to convert into the baby's room and therefore a lot of work had to be done before it would be ready.

The petite pink-haired kunoichi didn't mind the tedious work that came with the redecorating—it helped take her mind off a lot of things and for that she was thankful.

To her complete surprise, she appeared to be settling down very nicely within the Akatsuki base.

She was well provided for of course; she was treated like a queen as the kitchen staff catered to her every cravings and all her other needs were being thoughtfully fulfilled by the servants. Sakura would not starve herself; her baby needed nutrients and thus there was no way she would deny herself sustenance.

And then there were the daily strolls.

She seldom if ever saw the other members of the Akatsuki. Still, Kisame would walk with her most of the time, just in case. Sakura had no idea that the tall blue-haired nin had been instructed by Itachi to do so, but nevertheless, the kunoichi was glad for the company. Zetsu she had seen twice, but she had never been particularly close to the Kusa-nin. They had exchanged nods of acknowledgement as they passed each other by the corridors of course, and that was that. So far she had not seen Pein or Konan either, and the petite pink-haired female was still not sure whether to be relieved or not.

Other than for the decoration of the nursery as well as the post-dinner strolls, there was also an extensive collection of unusual literature and scrolls that was available for her perusal. It was kept in yet another room within Itachi's suite, a study perhaps, but it was completely filled with books and uncommonly rare documents that Sakura had never seen before. It was obviously Itachi's private collection—something that she had never been allowed to set eyes upon when she had been a captive but now allowed to touch and peruse just because of her sudden elevated status as the mother to his unborn child.

For the past weeks since her reunion with the Uchiha, Sakura had tried her best not to think of this, to push it all away. She tried her best not to be bitter about it. She really did.

But it hurt. It never failed to hurt, damn it, whenever she realized all over again just how close he had come to letting her die those four months ago, and how now she was evidently important enough to be looked after and treated like some precious, fragile porcelain.

The kunoichi stared at the rare medical scroll spread out before her with unseeing eyes. At the moment it was nearing midnight and she was curled up on a comfortable loveseat in the living area. She was all alone, and nowadays the almost seven month pregnant female was getting used to her imposed solitude.

Emerald eyes darkened with self-mockery.

Sakura refused to delude herself. She was completely aware that Itachi's renewed interest in her had nothing to do with her as a person, but everything to do with the baby growing inside her.

The kunoichi felt her heart ache in a most hollow manner.

She forced herself to ignore the pain almost immediately. There was no use in pining after something that would never happen. If anything, her time spent as a young Genin had taught her as much.

Sakura took a deep, quiet breath as she determinedly tried to relax. Unfortunately, she was not succeeding at all. The pink-haired female gave up at last. Rejecting the scroll, the kunoichi rolled it up and carefully maneuvered her selfoff the couch. She was just too tensed and upset by her thoughts to be in the mood to read anything.

Maybe a good night's sleep would banish her troubles.

At least temporarily….

* * *

He returned that very night, creeping back within the highly guarded base like a ghostly wraith. 

As the Uchiha made his way soundlessly down the hallway, his partner materialized beside him. Itachi was hardly taken aback by the unexpected appearance. The sensitivity of the Samehada had picked up on his chakra signature just like he had wanted it to.

"The missions were successful?" The tall Kiri-nin asked.

Because they had taken an entire month to track down the location of the little Leaf, their two-man team had fallen behind their mission quota. And because Itachi didn't quite trust Sakura to be completely alone among the other Akatsuki members, he had chosen to complete the assignments by himself, leaving Kisame behind to look out for the pregnant female.

They were relatively simple missions after all—clear cut assassinations of other S-class missing-nins, as well as high risk retrieval assignments for the very rich and influential.

Pein had given them a total of seven missions to complete. Itachi had rounded that figure up to ten.

In response to Kisame's question, the Uchiha reached beneath his travel-worn cloak and wordlessly produced a hefty-looking pouch and handed it over to his partner. Without much ado Kisame took the packet and loosened its opening, peering into the surprisingly heavy bag.

He whistled soundlessly at what he saw inside.

Diamonds.

Some were huge while others were small but they were all the same in quality. Itachi had brought back a fortune.

The Sharingan wielder did not seem to be impressed by the sheer amount of precious gems that he had just handed over to his partner. The almost gaunt, raven-haired male had been about to request for Kisame to deliver it to Pein when the shark man shook his head and returned the pouch to him.

"Leader has been waiting for you." Kisame mentioned shortly by way of explanation. "He wants to see you."

Nodding slightly, Itachi retrieved the bag of diamonds and concealed it beneath his cloak once more. The two powerful nukenins continued down the hallway in silence.

Knowing that Itachi would never voluntarily enquire about the kunoichi, the blue-haired Kiri-nin started to give a brief report on the beautiful pink-haired female whom he had been tasked to watch over for the past two weeks.

"The little Leaf asked about you." Kisame commented almost casually. "I told her that you were on a mission; nothing more and nothing less."

When Itachi gave no reply, Kisame was hardly daunted. He continued talking gamely. "She redecorated all your rooms extensively; I reckon you won't even recognize them anymore. Didn't mope about as much as I thought she would too, just kept busying herself so much that she almost didn't have time to eat and sleep."

At that, there was a mild reaction.

The indifferent crimson orbs that had been originally trained forward slid over to stare at Kisame.

The Kiri nukenin shrugged.

"I said 'almost', didn't I? Don't worry; she hadn't been starving herself, not that I can see, anyway. She ate very well and is in fact expanding at a most incredible rate." A chortling Kisame gestured around his own flat stomach to his completely un-amused partner. Then he became serious again. "I don't think she slept very well though."

If Kisame was looking for some sort of response from the Uchiha he was sadly disappointed. Itachi gave his partner another flat stare before turning his attention back to the long hallway that they were walking down towards. Eventually they reached their destination.

The Kiri-nin raised an eyebrow.

"This is where my duty ends," the blue-haired male noted.

Itachi inclined his head curtly. With his return, Kisame would no longer need to guard Sakura. A small smirk graced the shark man's face. "Good. Not that it was very hard to look after the little Leaf, but I'm starting to go stir crazy just sitting around twiddling my thumbs with nothing better to do. I'm definitely going out to get some sake. What do you say, Itachi? Want to join me after this?"

Thinking way ahead of himself, the Hoshigaki turned to his side only to find that his partner had long since disappeared into the Leader's quarters. It was always like that with the Uchiha, and Kisame frowned slightly before shrugging to himself.

Well, it's his loss.

* * *

As usual, Pein was sitting behind his huge desk when Itachi entered his study, striding into the room with long, even strides that belied his overwhelming exhaustion. After two weeks of continuous missions and travel with virtually little to no rest, it was nothing short of amazing that the Uchiha could still behave and act as if nothing was out of the ordinary. 

Pein eyed the other nin with calm placidness, his Rinnegan flashing eerily in the semi darkness. For once there was no paperwork on his table, carved from a truly massive slab of oak.

Without any acknowledgement or greeting, the Uchiha extracted the bag of precious gems and tossed it carelessly onto the desk. The velvet bag hit the wooden surface with a soft thump before sliding soundlessly across the width of the table and coming to a stop exactly before the Leader.

Pein accepted the diamonds immediately and placed the entire bag into one of his many drawers without even bothering to check or look at the jewels. Then he returned his attention to Itachi, arms resting lightly on top of the desk as he looked at the younger male.

Itachi met his gaze squarely, dispassionate mask firmly in place.

"I see that congratulations are in order, Itachi. Very soon you will have your progeny, a child of your blood—and abilities."

The Ame-nin drawled nonchalantly. Too nonchalantly.

Itachi appeared outwardly unruffled. He continued to stare at the Leader.

Then Pein went straight to the point.

"We will need to capture the Kyuubi Jinchuriki soon." The orange-haired nin commented with a hard voice. "The six-tails has already been successfully captured. It is past time to concoct a proper plan to trap the Kyuubi."

Before Itachi was able to come up with an appropriate response, Pein spoke again, chillingly clinical curiosity lighting up his strange eyes.

"Tell me, Itachi. How important is that kunoichi to you?"

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Well, my betas claim that I'm going to be eaten alive by the readers after this, but I tell them, of course not! How can the readers kill me over this little bit of a cliffhanger? I mean, it's _just_ Pein!! And that's plot there, too!!

Okay, feel free to kill me now.

---

One more thing; this is something of a filler chapter, if you haven't noticed already. Next chapter should prove to be a mite more interesting.

----------

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act) 

**Author: **paws-bells 

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, BlueGreenApples, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi 

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete) 

**Genre:** Romance/Angst 

**Word Count:** 3578

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act) 

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) 

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san. 

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom. 

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 21/03/08 

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Sakura did not notice his presence at first. 

Lost in the silky splendor of dreams and having long since assumed that this bedroom was hers and no one else's, she had been completely unguarded and unwary when he slipped silently into the room. 

It was only when the sound of running water coming from the connecting bathroom disturbed her sleep that she roused reluctantly, body shifting and eyes fluttering open. 

The door to the bathroom creaked as it swung out slightly, and a low beam of light shadowed out from the gap between the door and the doorframe. 

Sakura was immediately wide awake. 

Someone was in the room. 

Completely alarmed, the kunoichi forced her self not to panic or inadvertently create sudden movements. Tensing slightly, she crept slowly to the side of the large bed; her eyes trained on the bathroom at all times. 

Then the door widened further, and a figure stepped out. 

Sakura stiffened momentarily, but then she recognized the raven-haired male as crimson met emerald. 

Itachi was back. 

Even through the semi darkness Sakura could see clearly the extreme gauntness on the already lean frame of the powerful nin. He looked as if he had aged an entire decade in the two weeks that he had been missing, and despite her very best efforts to remain detached, firm tendrils of worry gripped her. 

Slowly, she sat up on the bed to acknowledge him, pink hair tousled from sleep and eyes mildly troubled.

He came nearer towards her, damp raven hair flowing untied around his shoulders and dressed in only a pair of black pants. His angular face was partially obscured by shadows but Sakura could see the increasingly harsh lines of stress that were etched on his handsome face. 

He stopped before her at last, silent as ever. Sakura had to tilt her head to look at him. 

Before she could stop herself she blurted out, voice still husky from sleep. 

"Are you injured?" 

The concern in her eyes, though clearly reluctant, was completely genuine. 

He stared at her for a brief moment, and then shook his head once. 

Sakura did not know what to say next, but before she could wrack her mind over it the Uchiha moved away from her and towards the other side of the futon. Under the kunoichi's completely baffled stare, the powerful Sharingan-wielder got into bed beside her. 

Sakura stiffened slightly. 

"Wha-"

"Sakura." It was the first time he spoke, but the weariness in his soft, tenor tone was something she had seldom heard of before. She frowned at him as he sat beside her. "Are you well?" 

It was a completely unexpected question coming from him of all people and the surprised kunoichi stared into his eyes. The crimson orbs were calm, but looked so very old that a part of her ached for him. 

She nodded slowly. 

He appeared satisfied by her answer, and without further ado the powerful nin laid down on the futon and closed his eyes. His tensed frame hardly relaxed despite his obvious exhaustion and Sakura really had no idea what to make of this situation. The Uchiha appeared to have fallen asleep within seconds of his head contacting against the pillow but Sakura knew well enough that he would wake in an instant if he so much as detected a hint of change in the air. That he appeared to be completely unconscious at the moment when she clearly remembered that he normally wouldn't even be caught this unguarded spoke a lot about his increasing weariness. 

And she herself needed sleep as well. 

There was really no question as to what to do next. 

Cautiously, the kunoichi lowered her self back onto the futon. The tall, raven-haired male beside her shifted slightly and dark eyes open momentarily, easily identified her, and then closed again. Otherwise there was no further reaction from the Uchiha and quietly Sakura settled down onto the futon, lying on her side to relieve the pressure of her rounded belly on her spine. 

Curled up slightly and leaving her back completely exposed to the Uchiha, the tired kunoichi eventually fell asleep as well. 

* * *

Karasagi Yukio stared at the trio of decidedly odd looking men standing at the doorstep of her humble home. Hiding shyly behind her legs was her little daughter, peeking out at the three ninjas with large curious eyes. 

Yukio looked at the shinobi nervously; nins were generally bad news to civilians and if possible she wanted nothing much to do with them. However, they had somehow found their way to her doorstep and because they seemed to only want some answers the young mother decided to indulge them, and then send them off on their way as soon as she could. 

Kakashi smiled as reassuringly as he could at the jumpy woman. His infamous inverted-U smile only served to bring emphasis to his covered eye and thus on his lopsided hitai-ite, which unnerved Yukio even more.

"Please, Karasagi-san. We only wish to know more about 'Midori'-san. Can you tell us more about her?" 

Yukio nodded reluctantly. 

"Midori-san is a very great healer. She knew what was wrong with my little Kairi-chan just by looking at her. She moved into the village two months ago, and she was pregnant. Her husband had passed away, the poor thing, and she was left all alone." 

Once again, Shikamaru tried to verify the timeline. 

"Have you any idea how many months along she was when she came here two months ago?" The spiky-haired Nara questioned. 

Yukio nodded. "I was pregnant before, so I can tell that she was roughly nearing the end of her second trimester. There was just a little bump on her belly when she first arrived."

Then it was Naruto's turn. 

"Did Midori-san have pink hair and eyes the shade of emeralds?" 

Yukio looked oddly at the anxious-looking blonde male. "Of course not." she answered at last. "How can there be anyone born with pink hair? Midori-san was a brunette with long hair and dark blue eyes." 

The nins exchanged glances. 

"Can you still remember her height then? How tall was she?" Kakashi took over the questionings. 

Yukio's odd look increased. "She's about as tall as I am, I think." A mild look of concern crept across her features. "Why are all of you looking for her? Is there something wrong? She no longer stays within this village; three weeks ago she left this area with two men. Her friends or relatives, I'm sure. It was such a pity that they left in such a hurry; she didn't even had time to pack her furniture or belongings with her and she had just moved in recently too." 

The Konoha shinobi stiffened imperceptibly. 

"What did they look like?" Naruto burst out in question, looking completely tensed.

Yukio appeared mildly confused by the sudden air of urgency that was abruptly surrounding the nins. 

"I'm not sure if they were nins as well; they wore no forehead protectors." Yukio considered. Their village was small after all; news of strangers lingering within their area always spread fast. "But they wore long black cloaks and one of them was very distinctive looking." Yukio looked rather disgruntled at she stared at the ninjas standing before her. 

"Why on earth would someone want to dye and paint their hair and face blue?" 

* * *

Sakura was surrounded by complete warmth when she woke up the next morning. 

The kunoichi knew not what was going on, but she was perfectly content to remain thusly, curled around a steady source of heat and dozing away her exhaustion. She felt very comfortable and purred softly in languid satisfaction when it felt as if someone was rubbing her aching back for her. It was probably a very vivid dream, but all the same the petite female arched her back greedily for more—into the ghostly hand that was swiftly turning her into a mass of contented Sakura-flavored jelly. 

The overwhelming source of heat behind her shifted slightly, and then there was a light pressure on her swollen belly—not paining her in any sense but settling firmly against the taut skin of her stretched stomach. Completely protective of that particular area even when clearly asleep, the kunoichi stiffened momentarily before relaxing again when it appeared that no harm was going to befall her unborn child.

She sighed softly, almost inaudibly as she rubbed her cheek against the luxurious pillows. This was the best sleep that she had in weeks ever since Itachi—

Itachi. 

The poor woman was abruptly tossed awake by her sudden revelation. 

Remembering Itachi's return late last night, sharing a bed with him—

_He was behind her. _

She tensed. 

Almost as if she could not believe her eyes, the kunoichi looked down at her distended belly and could only stare at the hand that was splayed almost possessively over her stomach. The fingers were long and slender, and distinctly masculine. All doubts were further erased at the sight of the detested Akatsuki band on that ring finger, gaudy and ruby red and completely at odds with the rest of his elegant, long-tipped hand. 

He must be aware by now that she was fully awake; with her pressed so willingly close to him there was simply no way he would not have detected the way she had stiffened. Yet the soothing manner in which he was absently rubbing again the small of her back did not cease. 

Sakura was completely baffled. 

He was behaving almost affectionately to her right now but during that week long journey to bring her back to the headquarters he had scarcely even looked at her if possible, and appeared completely detached whenever they had to remain in close contact so that she could navigate safely through the dangerous forests and other treacherous terrains. His almost clinical behavior towards her then had her completely—and bitterly convinced that he clearly saw her as nothing more than a burden that he was obligated to bear. 

And now it was as if he was experiencing a one hundred eighty degree change in temperament, and Sakura was inwardly bewildered by his abrupt transformation. 

It was definitely too much for her to bear, and before she could allow herself to think more into this matter when there really was nothing more to think about she calmly laid her own hand over his. 

The cold stone of the Suzaku insignia on his ring bit lightly into her palm but she did not seem to notice. Firmly, she slowly wrapped her fingers around his larger hand and lifted it off and away from her. 

Then as quickly as she could she sat up and scooted off the large futon. Getting on her feet was starting to prove to be a challenge with each passing day but eventually she managed. Sakura did not dare risk a look at the Uchiha. She was completely confused and her own feelings were wild and chaotic. She really did not know what to think. 

Back turned firmly to the male still lounging lazily on the bed, Sakura spoke. "I'm going to...wash up." 

And then the kunoichi all but ran into the bathroom for dear life. 

* * *

Sakura stared hard at the mirror. 

Her pink-haired reflection stared back. Her hair was even longer than ever; now already well past the small of her back. Her face glowed with health, her delicate cheekbones stood out prominently amongst large emerald eyes, a small nose and full, cupid bow lips. Belatedly the kunoichi decided that she could vaguely pass off as pretty, she supposed, if not for the fact that her eyes were haunted by shadows and she looked a little paler than she normally was.

The kunoichi sighed and pressed her forehead against the cool mirror.

She had been hiding in the toilet for as long as she could, lingering over her morning rituals and doing her best to prolong her time spent within the small confines of this room. Truth was, Sakura had no idea whatsoever how to face Itachi now—and his odd behavior was not helping matters at all. 

Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? 

A rather heart aching thought occurred to the pregnant female then. 

Was he toying with her feelings then? 

It should be painfully obvious to him by now that he was rather important to her—she had revealed as much during all the tumultuous circumstances that she had to face for the past months or so, remaining firmly by his side when she really shouldn't. He had been the enemy—

But she had been the love struck fool. 

She had been so determined to save him that she failed to realize abruptly that he didn't want to be saved. Her sacrifice had been for nothing. He still wanted to go after Naruto after all that was said and done, after she had turned her back against her beloved country and precious people for him. 

It was at times like these that Sakura truly regretted turning traitor to her country. 

But it was also at times like these that she would come to the most stunning realizations—she would do whatever it took to save him—even if he didn't know, even if he didn't care. 

The magnitude of her feelings for him scared her badly, and worst still was the budding suspicion that he would one day make use of her emotions to turn it against her—and with it the doomed understanding that she won't do a thing to stop him, even if he chose to hurt her so. 

Sakura was well aware that the man whom she had fallen in love with was never going to be normal. There would be no gentle professions of love and careless laughter with him and Sakura knew better than to hope for any happily ever after. He was such a hard man to love and she was just a woman, trying her best to protect all the people she held dear.

What would she do now that the plan had never changed? Who would she stand with when the time came?

Just thinking about it never failed to distress her. 

And as timely as ever, her sweet, unborn baby came to the rescue. The gentle tickle of little toes behind her ribs made her gasp softly in surprise, and the kunoichi pulled back slightly from the mirror to look at her rounded belly. 

Wistful emerald eyes softened, and carefully she laid her hand on her stomach, directly where her little one was making a fuss within her and closed her eyes briefly. 

When she opened them again, the light in those emerald eyes appeared stronger, more determined. 

What was going to happen next didn't matter as much as what was happening now. The future can wait, but the present was becoming the past even as she sat around and moped. Sakura realized that she would be damned if she spent her time now regretting over what had happened. As odd as it sounded, her little family was complete at the moment, her baby and its father right here with her. Morbidly, the kunoichi realized that it was entirely possible that this current situation could change at any moment—they were all nins after all, and to make it worse they were nukenins. Fatality rate was already high enough as ninjas. Being wanted by hunter-nins from different countries around the world could mean that any one of them could die at any given moment. 

As much as Sakura didn't like Itachi's choices when it came to the people he chose to keep company with as well as the decision to bring her here, the kunoichi knew that his death would devastate her even worse than Sasuke's ultimate betrayal when they were Genins. Just the thought of it now made the pregnant female nauseous with discomfort and Sakura heaved a shuddering sigh. 

There really was no choice for her. It seemed that the strings of Fate had chosen to tie them firmly together, and as much as she desperately wished sometimes that they could have met at a different time, under different circumstances this was what she had been given and she knew she ought to be grateful. 

She really ought to be, but somehow she wasn't. There were just so many things on her mind right now…

Maybe a shower would help clear her thoughts, but one thing now was for certain. 

It was well past time to take her life into her own hands again. 

* * *

She registered his presence only after she was done rinsing the shampoo away from her hair. 

He must have been there for quite some time before he decided to reveal himself to her; she hadn't felt his approach at all. 

She paused in her movements. Back turned to the shower screen, facing the shower, Sakura had no idea what on earth he was doing in here. It should be pretty obvious that she was bathing, the sounds of water flowing would have been apparent to anyone in the bedroom. 

Then the kunoichi heard the soft 'shush' of the shower screen being tugged aside, and this time she froze completely. 

In the blink of an eye she turned around so quickly that her hair flew in a wet, dripping arc and—

Crimson met emerald. 

_He was in the shower with her. _

Sakura emitted a soft gasp at the realization that he was completely naked as the day he was born, and the fact that she too was obviously in a similar state of undress did nothing to make her feel any better. 

The stunned female retreated as far as she could go, which unfortunately for her and her distended stomach was less that two steps back. 

He didn't seem to mind her immediate withdrawal overly much. 

Bloody Sharingan eyes inscrutable, he stared at her greatly changed body with such blatant masculine curiosity that she quickly turned bright red. 

It was so long since he had seen her naked, and although Sakura was not ashamed of her pregnant form it was completely awkward, not to mention unexpected that he was looking at her right now. 

Instinctively, her hands flew up to shield her chest from his view, and she started to sidle to the side only for him to block her path. 

She stared at him, eyes large and face turned towards him, droplets of pristine water sliding slowly off her temples, the delicate cheekbones, the full lips. 

His hand came up slowly, almost as if testing her willingness for him to continue, and she stilled completely. 

She started to tremble when he touched her finally—long artist's fingers curled loosely around the wrist of the hand that was currently shielding herself from him, and started to tug it down firmly. She acquiesced to him, taking a deep, shuddering breath as he gazed upon her newly developed curves. 

She had changed drastically compared to the last time he had seen her like this. 

Once lithe and possessing a girlish figure, her body had matured magnificently. Although she would never be anywhere near as voluptuous as her teacher Tsunade was, she had definitely filled out in a completely healthy manner. Most noticeable were the slender thighs that had become a smidge rounder, the slim waist that had obviously thickened to accommodate the baby growing within her womb and her full breasts, growing heavy with milk that would one day feed his child when it finally arrived. 

His eyes darkened, and Sakura's heart started to race. She swallowed hard and resolved not to look at Itachi at all. 

He moved a step towards her, and then paused to pick up the bar of soap from the holder. 

There was an odd light in his eyes, but Sakura was not afraid of that almost ravenous look on his normally distant, dispassionate façade.

Why would she be afraid, when it was now obvious to her that he still desired her?

Above everything, above her so called 'betrayal', her growing pregnancy and unglamorously rounded figure he still wanted her. 

Lathering the soap well in his hand, he reached out and lazily glided the foamy mess in between the swelling valley of her chest. Her trembling increased in frequency and it was all she could do to remain perfectly still before him. 

His eyes locked firmly onto hers, the exotically slanted crimson staring straight into her wide emerald. 

"Let me wash you." 

His soft voice was husky, and her eyes darkened. 

Even as the rational part of her was protesting against what she had as much as agreed to do with him, Sakura just could not help herself. 

Hadn't she promised herself that she wouldn't waste any more time regretting over what she had done? Hadn't she already decided to quit moping around? 

Yes, she had.

Now was simply not the time to feel sorry for her self. He was here now; they were still alive and although she knew that he would never love her, that was alright. She would love him enough for them both and with that thought in mind, the kunoichi nodded quietly. 

She had never wanted to run away from him in the first place—and now, as Sakura watched the larger male staring intently at her, she made a quick decision for herself. 

No more. 

No matter what happened, she would never turn away from him again. 

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Yes, I can see half of you cackling like maniacs right now and the other half banging your heads against the keyboard. Or table. Or wall. Do be careful not to hurt yourselves, and for god's sake do it somewhere where you cannot be seen by others. I have learnt that purely from experience, and people can give such strange looks sometimes.

And yes, this will be where things start to get interesting, in case you are actually confused and need to clarify. 

---

For those who are interested in the progress of Curtain Call, well, it's not completed yet, that's for sure. It's turning out to be an epic (much to my horror) and currently it's roughly around 123 pages, which equates to let's see…75, 784 words. The good news: it is entering the final arc. The bad news: I haven't had time to look though and/or edit the front portions yet so updates will be once a week for now until I complete the fic. 

Just thought that I would mention it to you people, that's all. 

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you. 

--paws


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, BlueGreenApples, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 3889

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) **Explicit content ahead! Please skip entire chapter if you are underage!**

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 27/03/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 4

* * *

He was completely fascinated by the changes that pregnancy had evoked in her body.

With a gentleness that took her breath away, he cleaned her thoroughly and meticulously, soaping her up and then rinsing her off carefully, running callused hands over each and every inch of her water-slicked torso, crimson eyes filled with mild concentration as he memorized all over again the map of her body. Even seven months pregnant, she was so small compared to him self and if he were someone else he would have admitted that he was almost in awe of her. But every part of her that had once been so familiar to him was now so foreign, and he was completely interested in wanting to know more about these changes that had taken place within her.

Her full breasts were even more sensitive compared to the last time he had touched her and her sharp, hitched response when a rough pad of a thumb brushed against a pouting nipple had him staring intently at her. Her brilliant emerald orbs were dark as she stared back, and experimentally he ran his thumb across her other breast as well.

She gasped softly again and her knees went weak, the exquisite sensation almost painful in its pleasure; her face flushed and lips a little red from all the biting she was doing to them.

He made a mental note about her increased sensitivity and then moved on, much to her relief—and secret disappointment.

Then his hand came to a stop over her swelling stomach. The skin over her belly was stretched taut and he cupped her in utmost fascination, almost as if measuring her for size. Sakura stared at his preoccupied expression as he regarded the part of her that housed his child, and the picture of father and baby communicating was so poignant that emerald eyes softened and became slightly damp.

It was a good thing that she was still standing under the powerful spray of the shower.

Then he lifted his head and their eyes met for a brief moment. The kunoichi tilted her face away immediately, irrationally afraid that he would see her tears.

Easily, he turned her back to face him again, eyes silently questioning. He would never ask of course, but she should have known better than to think that he wouldn't have detected the unnatural wetness in her eyes. Not many knew, but the powerful Uchiha could be unbelievably attentive whenever he wanted to be—it had been something Sakura had learnt when she had first been captured and brought here, and now she was reminded of it again.

She looked at him quietly. He had become thoroughly wet as well, but because he had been tending to her he hadn't washed yet.

"Do you need my help to bathe?" she asked.

He shook his head once. "I bathed last night," he spoke at last. "I only wish to look at you."

His blunt but honest reply made her flush slightly.

"Well," she muttered a little self consciously, "you have already seen all there is to see."

Since he wasn't planning to shower as well Sakura quickly decided that it was a complete waste of time to remain in the bath for long. She was getting cold and wrinkly and when she made a move to slip past him and out of the shower area he easily blocked her way out.

She stared at him with confusion, but when he reached out and easily retrieved a clean, white towel his intention became all too clear.

"I can do this by myself," she protested quickly as she tried to take her towel from him. He refused to relinquish it to her and before she could do anything about it she was abruptly tugged against his naked form so that he could reach around her to dry her back first.

Sakura promptly stiffened at the contact. His sleekly muscled body rippled whenever he moved against her and when Sakura looked at him all she could see was his pale, well-defined pectorals. She swallowed hard with dismay and then squeaked in protest when she was abruptly spun around so that he could dry her front next. Sakura was so relieved that she wouldn't have to look at his nude body now but then _he_ brushed lightly against her backside, his hardness pressing almost deliberately against the soft, feminine flesh of her behind before moving away. The startled female nearly jumped out of her skin, face pink with mild embarrassment—and something else.

"_Itachi_-" Her voice was breathless with shock as she turned her head slightly to look at him. So far she had tried her best not to look anywhere below his waist and she had succeeded so very well too, which certainly explained why she hadn't noticed at all his overwhelming physical desire for her. Despite the fact that she had been intimate with this particular male so many times before, Sakura flushed even harder when he nudged against her once more.

"Er…"

Sakura wanted nothing better than to step away from the obviously interested Uchiha and wing it but somehow common sense told her that she wouldn't get very far. So the kunoichi stood as still as she could and waited to see what was going to happen next. She chewed on her lips nervously, and tried her best not to think about what he was doing behind her.

He didn't seem to be at all ashamed of his growing erection, nor did he appear to pay heed to it. No, calm as you please, the Uchiha was fully concentrated on drying her completely _first_. He toweled her hair for her and his fingers against her scalp made her sigh and relax reluctantly, and when she seemed to sag slightly he shifted towards her until her back rested completely against his front.

His wonderful scent of clean rainwater inundated her, and eventually soothed by his unexpectedly gentle ministrations the kunoichi turned her head slightly towards his neck and nuzzled her appreciation, feeling as languid as a lazy cat.

He paused in his actions and looked at her.

Her beautiful emerald eyes showed rare contentment and she was now utterly at ease against him, plaint and willing and his own eyes darkened. She was now completely dry and slowly he nudged her off him and started to dry himself quickly with the same towel that he had used on her.

It took a relatively shorter time for him to be done but his hair was still quite damp when he directed her firmly out of the bathroom.

Sakura had no idea what was going to happen next and when she reentered the bedroom the pink-haired female made a quick beeline for the closet, completely determined to get dressed.

She was tugged to a stop before she could even accomplish her first step, and when she turned to him immediately in protest, the look in his eyes—

Made her freeze in her steps.

His bladed Sharingan eyes were dark and ravenous as they stared blatantly at her, almost as if he was a dangerous jungle cat, and she, his reluctant prey.

Sakura drew in a sharp breath.

Before she could go anywhere or do anything, he was right before her—and kissing her hard. His almost aggressive possession of her stunned her slightly, but then he coaxed her to respond, running large hands over her long pink hair and smooth, silky body, pressing himself close to her smaller form. Belatedly Sakura was immediately aware of how different they were; he large and powerful, and her his small, pregnant mate.

He wouldn't hurt her, of that she was sure and so she gave in completely to him, relaxing trustingly against his body and allowing him to maneuver them to the bed. Her acquiesce to his ministrations pleased him, if the rough rumble that reverberated from his chest was of any indication.

He lowered her onto the futon and then followed her down swiftly, unfolding his tall, lean form by her side and careful not to crush the baby as he continued running his tongue against her lips, licking and biting her gently as his hands continued to roam over her ripe body. She whimpered helplessly when he touched her swollen breasts, her highly sensitized flesh bringing both pleasure and pain as he kneaded and flicked at the rosy pink tips. She shifted restlessly, becoming increasingly aroused as he ran his mouth down the side of her jaw to the delicate arch of her throat, sucking slowly and grazing his teeth against her fluttering pulse point.

His hands moved lower, pressing firmly against the hard bump of her belly before sliding further south. She sighed his name softly as he brushed the callused tips of his fingers against the insides of her thighs, and then gasped loudly when he suddenly latched his hot mouth over a flowering nipple, sucking hard on the breast that would one day feed his child and eliciting tears of pained pleasure from the female.

Her hands came up immediately to clutch at him when he did not stop his ministrations on her breast. Slender fingers curled weakly into long raven hair as she had trouble deciding whether to pull him closer or to push him away. Then he parted her thighs with a hand, easily done at the moment of her distraction and immediately pressed the heel of his other palm firmly against her most secret of places.

Emerald eyes widened momentarily as he applied pressure directly over her clitoris and she cried out in stunned pleasure, completely helpless as her body reacted instinctively, her inner muscles contracting hard into it self and her hips bucking against his hand. She was quickly growing damp and panting hard, face flushed and small, sexy sounds escaping her throat as she whined softly and clutched tightly at him, beautiful emerald eyes cloudy with lust and chest heaving with every rapid breath she took. Her legs shifted restlessly and it was all she could do not to clamp down on him, and she was quickly rewarded when his palm withdrew to be replaced by an index finger as he slipped into her tight channel, eliciting a soft, strangled moan from her.

She was wet and slick and he easily pushed another finger into her with no trouble at all. Once more, her hips surged against him instinctively, as if wanting more and he indulged her, rolling the rough pad of his thumb insistently against that little bud of highly sensitized mass of nerve endings as he started to piston his fingers in and out of her.

The friction was simply overwhelming. Liquid heat pooled in her lower abdomen and the juices of her arousal coated his hand every time he slid out of her, gleaming wetly under the lighting of the room.

Crimson eyes darkened at the sight. By now his attention was completely captured by what he was doing to her—as well as the rapturous expression of carnal pleasure on her face, pink lips parted slightly and eyes closed shut as she tried to ride the waves of sexual gratification that he was giving her.

It had been so very long since he had last touched her like this, and it didn't take much for him to nudge her off the edge.

Almost immediately, her climax came down upon her in violent, unrelenting waves. Her strong, inner walls convulsed spasmodically around his fingers and she keened helplessly, her body writhing with the overwhelming sensations of sexual release as she clamped her thighs shut around his hand.

The Uchiha stared intently at Sakura as she experienced her orgasm around him, his ruby gaze focused only on her. She was completely magnificent like this, chest heaving with exertion, her body ripe and swollen with his child, long, pink hair wrapped around her small, sweat slicked body, the carnal rapture on her beautiful face completely arousing to him.

She looked like some long forgotten, ancient fertility goddess, come down to earth just for his pleasure.

Eventually, the spasms of pleasure died down for her and she relaxed, falling back limply against the futon, completely sated and lazy-eyed. A sweet sigh escaped her lips and lying half propped on his side next to her, he bent his head down to kiss her. She responded briefly; kiss swollen lips clinging to his as her tongue came out to swipe slowly at the seam of his mouth. He allowed her to explore the cavity of his mouth, and her thighs relaxed slowly, allowing his completely dampened hand to slip from between her silky legs.

He was still painfully aroused though, and that she was well aware of. However, he didn't seem to want to sate himself with her and she had an inkling just why it was so.

She parted from him slowly, twining her tongue one last time around his before withdrawing from him and looking into his dark eyes. Calmly, under his intent perusal, she looked at his erection, large and hard and pressing insistently against his tight abdomen, its mushroomed tip leaking with fluids that were supposed to help lubricate her passage upon his entry of her.

He was lying on his side, an arm supporting his upper torso as he watched her. She reached out towards him, slowly wrapping her hand around his stiff phallus. He stilled completely at her soft touch, but otherwise there was no further reaction from the stoic male. It was impossible for her fingers to wrap completely around him of course, but the heat and urgency of his arousal was so intense that she couldn't quite understand how on earth he was being so calm about this. He must have anticipated that she would be unable to receive him due to her condition, but yet he had still pleasured her all the same, perfectly prepared to remain unfulfilled.

She could have told him that he didn't have to.

Carefully, she squeezed him lightly before sliding her palm down his heavily ridged length and up again. A guttural rumble escaped from his chest and he pulsed with growing excitement. Looking at the impassivity on Itachi's face she would not have believed that he was completely aroused if not for that feverish light in his normally cold, crimson eyes. She wet her lips slowly, feeling completely empowered as she held him literally in the palm of her hand.

She looked at him briefly, and then released him abruptly. She started to shift away from him and before he could react to her sudden withdrawal she spoke, her voice husky.

"I want you…inside me."

She wasn't turning away from him—she was presenting him her back.

The silky curvature of her body was apparent to him as she settled on her side, facing away from him and getting into position for him to take her from behind. Lightly, he traced a finger down the shadowed arch of her graceful spine. She shivered and bit her lip at the sensation, and then his hand slid downwards even more to rest on her rounded flank.

Sakura felt herself growing aroused all over again. Maybe it was because it had been so very long since she last had him within her, maybe it was the effects of all the hormonal chaos occurring within her but Sakura was completely eager for her lover to fill her once more.

Whatever it was, Itachi was proving to be willing to indulge her voracious sexual drive.

The Uchiha shifted towards the petite female until her back was pressed completely against his chest. Growing desperately horny Sakura wasted no time turning her head to the side to press a hard, sucking kiss on his sleek shoulder. He responded by paying his attention to her revealed neck, roving his hot mouth all over the pale column of her throat and using lips and teeth and tongue on her soft, sweet smelling flesh.

Sakura whimpered and deliberately pressed her full bottom against him, but when the larger male didn't seem inclined to follow up on her actions the kunoichi started to feel unbearably frustrated. Her medical experiences with other pregnant women had alerted her to the fact that there were some females who would become especially sexually demanding during pregnancy but she had never thought that she would be one of those women! After all, she had survived very well without Itachi's attentions for the past months but it was as if her body was making up for lost time right now. Her hormones seemed to be rocketing off the charts now that he was back in her life and the little pregnant female hissed irritably at her partner.

"Itachi!" She growled helplessly, at the same time trying to turn around to look at him. He stopped her immediately by sharply marking the sensitive flesh of her earlobe with his teeth.

She gasped, the unexpected pleasure shooting straight down to that special spot in between her thighs. Her inner walls contracted instinctively but it was _not_ enough!! She trembled finely and then he spoke, his arousal roughened voice serving to make her even wetter than ever.

"Will this hurt you?"

Feverishly and completely close to sobbing, she shook her head immediately.

"No." Her breath hitched sharply as his other hand came from under her to cover her swollen breast. "It won't hurt me—or the baby. Please—!!"

"Very well."

He started to coax her thighs apart and she helped him eagerly, and almost cried when she felt a hard tip nudging against the swollen, highly sensitized folds of her vulva. He started to play with a dark, pouting nipple with his talented fingers and almost impatiently she bucked her hips against his.

He gave in to her hungry demands and slid lazily into her, his mouth buried firmly against her neck as he started to suckle on her pulse. He filled her completely and for a moment she went limp against him, luxuriating in his fullness within her.

Then she started to throb with unbearable need, and when his free hand crept to her front and between the shadowy junction of her thighs, long, long fingers dipping into her womanly secrets and spreading her damp juices erotically against her aching clitoris, she started to breathe hard all over again.

"Move." She didn't mean to sound so commanding, but he was starting to torture her with those fingers of his and no movement whatsoever to ignite that small spark of pleasure into something truly amazing.

For a moment he didn't seem to heed her fierce request, and just when she was about to do whatever it took to get him moving in and out of her the way she wanted him to, he started to withdraw slowly from her. His movements were so achingly unhurried that she could actually feel every ridge and vein of his erection, not to mention his mushroomed tip as he paused at her slick entrance once more. Then he slid in again, and it was all Sakura could do not to push back to force him quickly back within her again.

"Impatient, aren't you?" His husky voice rang against her ear, almost like crushed velvet and she could almost detect that rare note of amusement in his gorgeous voice. She hissed softly, her discontent blatantly apparent.

"Don't toy with me now." She struggled to speak through harsh pants. "I—Oh-!"

Her hand reached out wildly behind her to clutch at him as he suddenly started to move in earnest within her. Her fingers found purchase and clenched into his powerful flank as he rocked against the soft feminine flesh of her behind repeatedly. She moaned and whimpered as he penetrated her again and again in swift, shallows strokes. She gripped tightly onto him every time he pushed into her tight, wet passage, and when he pulled back out she tried her best to match his movements. She didn't succeed very well of course, but his nimble fingers against her swollen, blood-filled clitoris made his swift withdrawals almost bearable. It was as if there was a spring winding tighter and tighter within her lower abdomen with each of his thrusts and Sakura knew immediately that she was near.

He must have known as well, for his ministrations on her body became more insistent, and almost rough if not for the ridiculously careful way he was penetrating her. Sakura did not mind though; her climax was coming—there!!

With a loud husky cry of satisfaction, she stiffened and her nails dug into his hips in an effort to hold him within her. He stilled completely as her wet and hot channel clamped down hard upon him, the muscular inner walls of her vagina rippling again and again around his erection. The strong, milking sensations served to bring him to an orgasm as well, and with a soft sigh against the side of her sweaty neck he emptied himself within her, pulsing minutely as his rich essence flowed into her pliant, receiving body.

Once again Sakura went limp against her lover, still breathing hard to recover from the sheer sexual gratification that he had helped her attain. He probably didn't look like it, but she could hear his heart racing as he too started to recuperate from their strenuous lovemaking.

Basking in the soft glow of the aftermath, the pregnant pink-haired female was feeling exhausted and sleepy all over again. Still pressed firmly against her back, Itachi was emitting a lazy warmth that served to make her feel contented and even sleepier. But then he started to withdraw from her, and she protested immediately.

The Uchiha paused, and watched with pure masculine pleasure as his satisfied little female wriggled against him until they were completely spooned together again.

"Sleep," she whispered drowsily, proclaiming her need to rest.

"Breakfast," he countered in response but she shook her head slightly.

"Later." Her voice was becoming fainter as she started to catnap and he took the opportunity to look her over once more. She was even more beautiful than ever, her skin flushed pink with vitality as well as the aftereffects of their coupling, her body healthily rounded. It also became apparent that he wouldn't be going anywhere at the moment. He had an arm trapped under her and she appeared completely contented for him to remain firmly within her.

The Uchiha carefully gathered her lustrous pink hair and brushed it away from her face. Then he arranged her long, silky locks of hair aside and slowly gathered her to him, wrapping his arm around her ribs, between her chest and rounded stomach. She hardly stirred and so he curled around her quietly, pressing his face against her mango-scented neck.

It felt like an eternity had passed since he had last allowed himself to openly relax against this gorgeous little pink-haired kunoichi and a rare sense of heady euphoria inundated him as he did so. He had searched for her long and hard, and now she was back where she belonged.

His exhaustion from everything he had to do to retrieve her had been worth it in the end, and maybe dozing would not be such a bad idea, after all.

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:tsuzuku:

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**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Don't lynch me. I know that Itachi is out of character, but I really could not help myself. I'd imagine that he'd be very curious about the baby, not to mention the changes that had occurred within Sakura's body. Well, so exploring leads to touching, touching leads to sex, and sex leads to post coital propinquity (aka cuddling). Very simple equation there, but I do apologize for the uncharacteristic moment all the same.

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This is the first time I had attempted to write a lemon on pregnant sex, and therefore (yes you guessed it) I had researched the subject thoroughly in order to be as accurate as possible. Yes, I know, the research geek has struck again, only this time she had chosen a completely awkward subject to do an extensive study on. Personally, I don't find pregnancy that awkward or even disgusting. It's the circle of life after all, and disgusting or not that's how we were all created. Well, unless you sprung out from a rock or fully believed that your mother was abducted by aliens, that's a different story.

Writing Curtain Call has prompted me to research much about the subject of pregnancy, and I'm completely fascinated by the many biological processes that take place within the mother's womb in order to facilitate a growing fetus, not to mention in awe of all the discomforts that she had to experience during the entire gestation period.

Well, I'm feeling a lot more thankful to my own dear mother, that's for sure.

Enough ramblings, and now on to the interesting part. I can see some of you cringing away from the monitor right now but suck it up, you wimps! If you can read my lemon you can jolly well read about some of my findings as well!

Or you can choose not to, whatever floats your boat.

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Pregnant Sex 101!

Contrary to popular belief, it is not dangerous to have sex during pregnancy unless told otherwise by the gynecologist. In fact, it is entirely possible for the pregnant female to engage in vaginal intercourse all the way up to her due date.

Secondly, it is impossible for the penis to come into contact with the fetus during sex. All those 'daddy poking the baby's forehead' jokes have no truth in them whatsoever! The developing baby will not be harmed, nor will it have any conscious idea of what its parents are up to. In fact, orgasms are good for the baby as well; the euphoric rush of hormones brought on by orgasms could be felt by the baby as a positive effect.

Thirdly, not all pregnant women would have the sexual urge to have intercourse—it all depends on the individual body's hormonal buildup.

As reported by Fox News, apparently pregnant women have better sex—and thus, better orgasms—due to their hormone changes within their bodies as well as increased vasocongestion (flow of blood to the genitals), heightening vulval sensitivity and a swollen, aching clitoris. This is most evident in the second trimester, and the expectant mother would easily feel sexier and a lot more attractive with better skin and hair (thanks to hormones) as well as feel erotically charged.

That's all I'm going to share. All these information could be easily found online; there are a lot of articles available for those who are additionally interested. Just google and you will find them by the busloads.

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Lastly, my four darling betas had assured me that I had done a great job on the lemon (my head is filled with air now) but then again none of us had been pregnant before and thus to all the real time mommies out there, my apologies again if I had made any mistakes despite the research. And of course, corrections would be most welcomed.

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P.S: I find myself really hating 's new Documents. Can they quit 'improving' and quit messing around with my format?!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 5595

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 04/04/08

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Chapter 5

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Tsunade slammed a fist on her desk in frustration, and then stared hard at the three nins standing before her.

"Sakura is carrying Uchiha Itachi's offspring?" The Godaime Hokage rasped, amber eyes bright with agitation. The situation was getting swiftly out of hand.

"That cannot be confirmed. The timeline only suggested that she conceived during the mission at the Akatsuki headquarters." Shikamaru reported factually. "We cannot identify for sure the paternity of her child, though Uchiha Itachi seems to be a very likely candidate."

Tsunade swore loudly. It would certainly explain why Sakura had changed her mind suddenly and chosen to protect the Uchiha heir towards the end. She was trying to prevent the father of her unborn child from being killed, and it would only make sense if she cared genuinely for the S-class nukenin.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose and everyone in the room kept silent, waiting for her input. It shouldn't be a surprise to her that this had happened. Sakura's nature was always so giving and protective towards her precious people, and although the Fifth still had no idea how on earth a bloodthirsty clan murderer like Uchiha Itachi had managed to creep his way into that list of people she was almost sure by now that the younger kunoichi hadn't been under any sort of genjutsu when she had asked them not to attack the elder Uchiha.

And then Tsunade blanched slightly when she realized just what a close miss they had.

If Sasuke's Chidori Nagashi had just hit a little bit lower… She clearly remembered in her mind's eye how the furious Uchiha had slammed his entire arm through his ex-teammate's chest. Sasuke had moved so quickly that no one could have stopped him, and Sakura had been mortally injured.

If Sasuke had hit a little lower, Sakura would have lost the child. The busty blonde shut her eyes, not sure whether to be relieved or to be greatly upset that her disciple was still pregnant with the offspring of the enemy.

"…how many months along is she now?"

Despite everything, concern for her disciple was the first thing on her mind. The pink-haired kunoichi was still young, barely twenty-two and now all alone and pregnant with no familiar family or friends around her. Tsunade was seriously starting to regret cutting her loose that fateful day, turning her back on the badly injured female, and as good as leaving her to die.

Everyone had been in deep shock over Sakura's unexpected betrayal, and it had been during that initial period of time that Tsunade had issued the decree for her to never step foot within Konoha again, as well as to proclaim her as good as dead. The mission was declared a failure and the teams of Leaf-nins had set off to return to Konoha. Those involved still could not believe that yet another member of Team Seven had defected from Leaf and for weeks a heavy gloom had settled firmly over most who had known the cheerful, highly accomplished pink-haired kunoichi.

Then almost a month later Naruto had barged angrily into her office, demanding that they bring Sakura back no matter what, and clearly regaining his fire back again. Tsunade had refused at first, but then Kakashi had quietly backed the distraught Jinchuriki, both firmly believing that there was no way that Sakura would have turned on them just like that. She must have had her reasons, and they were determined to find out just what they were.

And now the answer was clear. Her foolish, reckless disciple had went and gotten herself entangled in a doomed relationship with an Akatsuki member.

"According to the doctor at the civilian hospital, she should be roughly seven months along now." This time, Kakashi answered.

Tsunade nodded distractedly. Seven months. Was Sakura checking up on the health of her offspring regularly? Was she healthy herself? Who was going to deliver her baby for her?

Somewhere along the line, the petite pink-haired kunoichi had become the daughter that Tsunade had never had, and as devastating as her betrayal had been to her the Hokage had quickly realized that the notion that Sakura might be dead or dying somewhere out there all thanks to her one command had been even more painful to bear. And so at last she had given the go ahead, allowing Naruto and the rest to attempt to track down Sakura's whereabouts only an entire month after she had been banished, all too aware that it might have been already far too late.

But now, good news had returned. Sakura hadn't died from her extensive injuries after all. No, she had recovered completely and even though she was all alone with no one to support her she had survived, utterly determined not to fail the child growing within her. At that thought, Tsunade was strangely proud of her student.

She had underestimated her disciple again. Sakura was strong—she would never have given up no matter what—as long as there was someone who needed her, she would never give up.

But at the moment, there was still this current messy situation to wade through.

"Sasuke cannot know about this." Tsunade stated flatly.

Naruto promptly gave baa-chan an incredulous look.

"Of course not!" the younger blonde muttered immediately. "Teme is definitely going to hit the roof and god knows what else if he knows about Sakura-chan's condition. But it probably wouldn't be hard to keep it from him. Anything concerning Sakura-chan, he doesn't even care now anyway. " The sullen Uchiha had flatly refused to join Team Seven in their mission to retrieve the missing kunoichi, which was why Shikamaru had to take his place. In retrospect, it was a good thing that Sasuke hadn't gone after all.

Then the blue-eyed Kyuubi vessel continued to mumble under his breath. "Stupid teme, he almost killed Sakura-chan just because of a failed mission."

And Tsunade had no doubt that the obviously unbalanced Uchiha would fly into a rage if he knew that Sakura was now probably carrying his brother's offspring as well.

The blonde Godaime sighed loudly. They would just have to deal with that when it came. Now there were other things to worry about.

"Where is she now?"

Immediately, all three nins looked impossibly grim. It was apparent that the makeshift retrieval team had rushed back to Konoha as quickly as they could after gathering the sufficient information that they needed; they were all dirty and exhausted from the stress of long travel and lack of sleep.

"We followed her from that civilian hospital to Nami no Kuni." Kakashi reported. Naruto nodded in agreement. "She seemed to have settled there for a month or so, and then we lost her."

Tsunade could not help herself. She exploded. "Lost her?!" The blonde demanded immediately, amber eyes piercing as she looked to Kakashi for an acceptable explanation. "How could you have lost her? Aren't you supposed to be a rather good tracker, Kakashi?"

This time, Naruto gave the answer, the expression on his face foreboding and bleak.

"The Akatsuki has her."

The Godaime stiffened. This was just getting worse.

"What?"

"Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi got to her a month before we did, and it is highly possible that they had taken her back to their base in Ame." Shikamaru spoke, his lazy countenance rarely alert for once.

Tsunade cursed again.

"Kakashi-sensei said that we had to return here to await your next orders since we can't just go after the entire Akatsuki alone." Naruto glared halfheartedly at his Genin instructor, the action telling Tsunade immediately that the younger blonde must have protested and put up a great fight when Hatake had made the call as team leader to return and regroup. Kakashi had done the right thing.

The Akatsuki were still looking for ways to capture the Kyuubi within Naruto and for all they knew this was just another way to lure the blonde right into their grasp. It was just too risky to have Naruto anywhere near Ame. But on the other hand…

"Sakura could be dead or dying right now!" Naruto, still as impetuous as ever, burst out impatiently. "Will you _please_ dispatch another team to go retrieve Sakura-chan with us right now, baa-chan? She could be in grave danger!"

Tsunade shook her head and glared immediately at the irritating blonde.

"Baka." The older female growled. "Use your brain, Naruto. If they wanted to kill Sakura they wouldn't have taken her with them."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, having long ago arrived at a similar conclusion. Before Naruto could open his mouth to comment about his precarious situation with the Akatsuki and how Sakura might be used against him, Shikamaru provided his own input.

"They wouldn't hurt her." The pineapple-haired Nara echoed Tsunade's thoughts. "If Sakura is indeed made pregnant by Uchiha Itachi, then it is unlikely that they would kill her yet."

Tsunade inclined her head.

"She has within her the bloodline of the Uchiha clan; her baby would one day wield the Sharingan as powerfully as his father had before him, maybe even more so. The child has a high chance of inheriting Itachi's immense power and prodigious genius, and mixed with Sakura's own great intellect, as well as rare chakra abilities, Akatsuki would not be so foolish as to harm or kill any woman who is possibly carrying an offspring of that caliber of superior genetic combination."

Naruto stiffened as he considered that distinct possibility. He had been so worried for his heart's sister that he had never stopped to think about anything like that. The past months had been like an emotional roller coaster ride for him. Knowing that Sakura was alive after all but pregnant, knowing that she had left and having to spend precious and often difficult amounts of time tracking her, worrying about her and how she was coping with her unborn baby, reaching Nami no Kuni only to learn that she had been taken away by the Akatsuki. Naruto had been so frustrated, and worst still was the gnawing awareness that he had failed his Sakura-chan.

She was one of his most precious people, but when all she had wanted was for him to understand, he had turned away from her like all the others. Naruto hurt just thinking about what he had done, and resolved that until he got Sakura-chan back again to apologize, he was never going to forgive himself.

For a long moment, Naruto kept quiet. Then he asked softly, his tone resigned to what he had to do. Waiting was always so difficult for him.

"So…what do we do now?"

Tsunade's eyes gleamed.

"We still have roughly two months before Sakura is due. Now, we plan."

* * *

The next month passed swiftly for Sakura.

The baby within her was growing bigger and stronger with each passing day and even though she hadn't been aware of it she was literally glowing from the pregnancy, radiant with the prospect of impending motherhood. Her pink hair was long and lustrous, gleaming with health, her skin flushed and rose-tinted, and her figure full and gorgeous. Like most expectant mothers, Sakura was blooming.

Life goes on, after all, and no matter what had happened in the past Sakura knew that she too had to move on.

Though completely apprehensive initially, Sakura was starting to accustom herself to life within the Akatsuki. There had been a sense of doomed resignation in the beginning, but she was now trying her best to be optimistic about her situation. She still went out of her way to avoid Pein and the rest of the Akatsuki members, but she wasn't exactly worried that they would pose a danger to her anymore. Itachi's sheer presence would ensure the safety of herself and her baby, if nothing else.

Other than the two weeks of disappearance on his part, the powerful Sharingan wielder had remained mostly close by for the past month. Of course, there were times when the Uchiha would disappear mysteriously for a day or so and Kisame would look in on her in his partner's absence but then the raven-haired male would always return in the end, and Sakura had learned not to enquire about his activities. It was always better not to know, and as much as the kunoichi knew that she was just deluding her self, she was perfectly content to remain in this manner—at least temporarily, that is.

Her current relationship with Itachi was something that she couldn't define even if she tried. They had become lovers once more; that morning a month ago had seen to it that she would never turn away from him again—and he must have noticed that something had changed with her. Initially wary and distrustful of him and his motives regarding their unborn child, she was now more relaxed around him, almost affectionate and expecting his affection and care in return.

Surprisingly, the dispassionate Uchiha had acquiesced to her needs; crimson eyes unreadable but yet sometimes so extraordinarily gentle with her that it never failed to make her tremble and her heart yearn for something more—something that she knew he could never give.

Still, not every aspect in her life was filled with grief and pain and angst.

Her pregnancy had revealed to her a side of him that she had never expected existed.

Maybe it was the fact that she was nearing her full term of pregnancy, but she craved his touch all the time. Logically, she should have felt about as desirable as a cow as she grew wider in girth and more awkward in movement, but there was something in the way he looked at her that just made her feel so beautiful. The deliberate, almost reverent way he ran his hands over her healthily rounded body, the way he never seemed to get bored exploring her with his worshipful mouth no matter how many times they had made love already, the gentle manner in which he touched her never failed to have her panting for more.

He was the calm harbor in her chaotically upturned life; when everything and everyone had been brutally uprooted, tossed away from her life he had been the only constant that had remained and she loved him all the more each time he curled his warm body protectively around her; pleasuring her, soothing her, seeing to her every wish. Even if it wasn't true at all, it made her feel cherished and loved and in the end she had to admit to herself that she needed him, and that he fulfilled her in ways that she had never thought possible.

So for now she was happy and contented, a woman in love who was anticipating the birth of her child, the protective warmth of her lover nurturing her and their offspring in return.

Itachi was completely fascinated with everything that had to do with the growing baby within her. Not a day would pass without him enquiring about the health of their offspring in one form or another, and around her he seemed to have become mellower in temperament, if that was possible. More than once she had caught him looking at her with a most peculiar light in his crimson eyes, but it would be gone before she could even understand what it meant.

In the privacy of his suite, hidden in the exact midst of Akatsuki, Sakura was slowly thriving.

The angel of the Leaf was contented to remain in this purgatory, so long as the demonic prince who had captured her so completely was by her side.

* * *

Tobi came to visit one day.

There had been a polite scratch on the shoji screen to Itachi's suite and a curious Sakura had waddled up to answer the door. Nearly eight months pregnant, her awkward movements had become completely comical to Kisame, though Sakura hadn't been at all amused. Often times she had grumbled to the sniggering shark man about how he was definitely going to get it once she had birthed her child and could come after him but predictably, the Kiri-nin was hardly threatened. Even if he tried it would be impossible to be afraid of the grumpy, pint-sized female who now appeared to have a blimp shoved under her clothes—she was growing that enormous.

Her swollen ankles weren't helping her mood much either, and it was completely ironic that particular portion of her was giving her so much trouble when she hadn't even been able to see them for months already. Not to mention her aching back, as well as the ridiculous need to relieve herself every hour or so. She was slowly becoming strained by the final stages of her pregnancy, and was beginning to wish that her baby would come out soon.

She was alone; it was afternoon and Sakura had no idea whatsoever of Itachi's whereabouts. She had woken up on the large futon and her lover was no where in sight. The pink-haired female was hardly concerned though, and had gone about fulfilling her daily rituals.

Until now.

Tobi's appearance clearly surprised her. The swirly-masked male had not been in Ame when she had been brought here nearly two months ago. After the demise of Deidara and Kakuzu, as well as the imprisonment of Hidan's immortal remains in the Nara lands in Konoha Akatsuki had never been able to recover from the drastic loss of their members. As it was now, only Pein, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, as well as the boyish Tobi, remained as the only active members in the organization and for the past years their resources and manpower had been stretched thin in order to cope with the lack of available members to fill the empty ranks.

Last she heard from Kisame, Tobi had been paired with Zetsu and had been traveling to some distant lands to complete an assignment for the cannibalistic Kusa nukenin.

"Tobi?"

The orange-masked man gave a cheerful wave.

"You still remember Tobi, Sakura-san!!" The happiest Akatsuki in the organization chirped. Then his head tilted to the side slightly, as if thoughtfully considering her new form from behind his mask.

"You look very healthy; congratulations on the pregnancy! Tobi could not believe his ears when Zetsu-san mentioned that Sakura-san is having Itachi-san's baby!"

Sakura had no idea that her pregnancy was such hot gossip among the Akatsuki. A little bewildered if not completely confused, she nodded slightly.

Tobi's earnestness was so obvious that Sakura could feel him almost vibrating with it.

"I have not seen Sakura-san for so long! Oh please, can Tobi please come in? Tobi promises not to do anything that will upset Sakura-san!"

Sakura had almost forgotten how the swirly-faced nin had always had the oddest habit of referring to himself in third person. Not that she had anything against that particular quirk of his, all nins had their own eccentricities after all; who was she to dictate what was acceptable behavior and what was not?

Besides, Tobi had always been a completely charming gentleman, even when she had been here as a prisoner, keeping her company and entertaining her somewhat with his goofy personality. A small smile appeared on Sakura's face.

"Come in, Tobi." The heavily pregnant female stepped aside to allow the masked-nin into Itachi's suite. The last Akatsuki to officially join the organization entered gratefully, and then followed after Sakura as she led him into the living area.

Tobi hovered worriedly around the young expectant mother as she maneuvered herself awkwardly onto a sofa. It was almost sweet, the way he seemed anxious about how the baby might be accidentally jostled, and Sakura was completely endeared to the spiky-haired nin.

"You act as if I'm about to die, not just pregnant." Sakura commented dryly as she gestured for him to sit down at last. Tobi did so reluctantly, and as near to her as possible.

Sakura smiled as cheerfully as she could at the dark-haired male.

"So Tobi, how are you?" It had been completely odd for her to be talking to a mask initially, when she first got to know Tobi, but now she was mostly used to it. The kunoichi really had no idea how it was possible, but Tobi was so ridiculously transparent that even a little child could read his moods and reactions despite that mask of his.

As if to prove her point, Tobi was literally vibrating with happiness right now. He nodded vigorously.

"Tobi is very fine! Tobi has been doing some work for Zetsu-san for quite awhile and Tobi had been so lonely in the forests with no one to talk to, but Tobi is back now and Tobi is very happy!"

Sakura simply could not help herself. Her lips twitched and she struggled not to laugh. Tobi's enthusiasm was hilarious—and unbearably contagious.

"I'm really glad to hear that." Sakura managed to compose herself in the end and keep a straight face, lest she hurt the feelings of the boyish nin.

Tobi nodded vigorously. "Tobi is very glad too!"

Sakura's smile widened and, in a complete one eighty turn in topic, Tobi stared at her rounded stomach. "Sakura-san looks like there is a balloon stuffed under her shirt." The orange-masked male commented almost rudely. Then he seemed to realize that he had been rather offending in his choice of words and appeared quite ready to grovel when Sakura shook her head, staring at him wryly.

"You are completely right. I do look like I'm hiding something big and round beneath my clothes." The kunoichi flashed a small grin and then sighed. "If only my baby is as light as a balloon though."

In response Tobi continued to look at Sakura's enormous belly with a growing sense of curiosity. She appeared completely healthy in an overall manner, but there were some minute signs, like the mild strain on her face and the tinge of discomfort in her eyes, that told anyone who was willing to look that the burden of her pregnancy was beginning to tire her.

"Sakura-san…" Tobi trailed off hesitantly, catching the kunoichi's attention. "Can I…touch your belly?"

It was a completely unexpected request, and for a moment Sakura could only stare at the swirly-masked man. Then Tobi quickly raised both of his hands in innocent surrender. "Tobi is not trying to be a pervert! Tobi swears he is not a pervert!" The dark-haired nin shook his hands frantically. "It's just that Tobi has never touched a baby before…"

For a brief moment, Sakura assessed the nin, as if piercing through his very mask with brilliant emerald orbs. Tobi deflated in an utterly dejected manner.

"It's alright if you refuse, Sakura-san. I understand-"

"Alright."

Tobi could not believe his ears.

"Sakura-san?! Are you sure?"

The pink-haired female eyed the nervous-looking nin calmly. "Are you planning to harm my baby?"

Tobi was completely startled.

"Wha- Of course not!! Tobi swears that he will never-"

"Then of course I will allow you to feel my baby." At the moment, it was as if Sakura's exhaustion had disappeared completely, and in its place was such serenity that she looked almost ethereally beautiful. Tobi could only stare, increasingly confused.

"Well?" A mildly exasperated expression appeared on her delicate features. "Are you planning to wait until tomorrow morning?"

"No!" Tobi really didn't mean to yell, but the slight smile on Sakura's face told him that she hadn't taken it to heart.

In a show of nervousness the orange-masked male crept to crouch before the pregnant female, looking completely out of place. He reached a hesitant hand towards her rounded belly and hovered there.

"Anou…"

Sakura rolled her eyes discreetly and snatched at Tobi's hand. The feel of his skin was astoundingly cold and for a brief moment, Sakura was surprised by it. Then she dismissed the oddity of Tobi's temperature inwardly, and resolutely placed the palm of his hand against the hard curve of her tummy.

At first the poor spiky-haired male looked as if he had no idea what to do with his hand laying flatly over Sakura's pregnant stomach. But then curiosity took over and he curled his fingers wonderingly around the curvature of her rounded form.

"Wow…"

Tobi's awed whisper made Sakura glow with maternal pride.

"I never thought that a baby would feel like this. It's so hard."

Sakura appeared completely amused.

"Did you think that I would feel lumpy then?"

Tobi appeared a little chagrinned. "Tobi really did think so at first."

Emerald eyes started to dance with good natured humor.

"Well, now you know better."

Tobi nodded immediately. "Yes, and Tobi will correct anyone who thinks otherwise from now on!"

Sakura's lips twitched. "Is there anything else that you need to know?"

Abruptly, Tobi stilled completely at her question. Almost immediately, Sakura could feel the sudden shift in the air around them as _something changed_. And because Tobi had on that silly mask of his, it was impossible to gauge what he was thinking at all. Sakura's well-honed instincts started to bug her but the kunoichi ignored it.

After all, this was cheerful, happy Tobi!

He wouldn't harm her.

"Let me do this…_Sakura-san_."

For a brief moment, his voice _changed_. Towards the end of his sentence, the high tenor, carefree tone of the dark-haired nin crouched before her altered into something deeper—almost dangerous.

Emerald eyes widened, but before she could do a thing about it, his aura—something that she had never detected before—leaked out of him and enveloped her rounded middle.

Sakura stiffened and gasped aloud.

It was as if a jolt of ice had been pushed forcefully into her womb, and Tobi's aura—

"_Tobi_."

_He_ was back.

Sakura did not understand why, but she was suddenly immensely glad to see Itachi. Her eyes flew to the crimson eyed Uchiha standing by the doorway, an odd rush of relief almost paralyzing her in her place. That abrupt burst of chakra that had come from Tobi had long since been retracted back into its owner the moment of Itachi's entrance and it hadn't even been more than a couple of seconds when he had used his energy on her, but the kunoichi was stunned to feel herself _shaking with fright_.

The strange intensity that she had detected in Tobi had appeared and disappeared in a blink of an eye, so quickly and rapidly that the kunoichi was almost convinced that it must have been her imagination.

Then it belatedly occurred to her that no amount of her overactive imagination could cause her to tremble like this.

"Tobi is so very sorry!!" The aghast orange-masked nin snatched his hand away from her extended tummy and started to bow repeatedly before the pale-faced, panting female. Sakura stared at him with wide eyes—no matter how silly he acted now she was never going to be able to view him in the same fashion again.

She should have kept in mind from the beginning—that he must have been an exceptionally powerful nin to be accepted into the ranks of the Akatsuki.

Tobi's chakra, though he had just revealed to her a minute bit of it for less than a split second, was so cold and _vile_ with absolute power that Sakura was immediately terrified that she had exposed her baby to it. Instincts taking her over, the kunoichi struggled to get to her feet and away from the dangerous Akatsuki. Tobi noticed, and moved to help her when Itachi blocked him easily. The raven-haired Uchiha had appeared so rapidly that he had been a blur.

The three tomoes of the Sharingan evolved immediately, became bladed and deadly.

Itachi stood over his stunned lover, his abruptly activated Mangekyo Sharingan glowing eerily as they pierced through the eyehole of the other nin's mask with cold blooded intensity. Tobi froze.

Too worried to care about what the masked-nin would think, the pink-haired female fired green healing chakra into her hands and wasted no time delving the positive energy into her womb to check on the health of her baby.

The orange-masked nin must have realized Sakura's purpose.

"I didn't hurt the baby, Sakura-san!!" His voice was high and boyish again, this time flooded with seemingly genuine distress. "I heard that fetuses would respond to chakra stimulation… and I have never done anything like it before…I might have used too much chakra… but Tobi has promised not to harm Sakura-san's baby. Tobi promised!"

Sakura found that she could not trust his words until she could verify it for herself.

And luckily enough, he had been speaking the truth. Other than for the discontented shifting within her womb mostly due to her baby picking up on her terror, there was nothing amiss with her little one. The look of relief on her face was completely blatant as she looked up at last to meet Itachi's stare.

"He's fine." She whispered, almost wilting with worry. "He's fine."

She was still shaking badly from her scare though; and Sakura had never thought she would ever experience such fear and panic again. Just thinking of how her baby could have been hurt because of her carelessness…

She tried to get to her feet once more, but her legs were trembling so badly that she didn't think she could stand without help.

Ruby eyes narrowed.

"Sakura." His lilting voice was cold and hard. It would have sounded normal to all who did not know him well but of course she knew better. _He was furious_. She tried her best not to flinch at his tone.

It was all she could do not to lower her eyes from his seemingly dispassionate, hawk-like gaze.

"Yes."

"Remain here." His command was brusque. "Kisame will come for you soon."

The pink-haired female nodded once, and then looked away at last. This false alarm was her fault in the first place. There was no one else to blame but herself. All the same, Sakura laid a hand on her pregnant stomach, just too glad that nothing had happened to be properly upset by Itachi's frigid displeasure.

Tobi fidgeted.

"Sakura-san-"

"Tobi, walk with me."

Itachi's tone did not bode well for the other Akatsuki.

Without even waiting for the masked-nin's reply, the Uchiha started swiftly for the exit, his strides long and rapid. Tobi appeared lost, and Sakura would have felt completely sorry for him if not for the fact that she could not seem to forget how he may be a lot more dangerous than he appeared to be.

"Sorry," the spiky-haired male mouthed quietly to the pregnant kunoichi before scurrying quickly after the Uchiha.

Sakura could not delude herself—she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him leave.

* * *

"You failed to mention that the kunoichi was carrying your flesh and blood, Itachi."

The voice that spoke behind him was low and raspy—the sign of age old experience and power.

"It was not important." The long, raven-haired Uchiha answered calmly, not about to be rattled by his teacher. Cold crimson eyes surveyed the sketch of heavy forestations that surrounded Ame. They had gone aboveground, far away from the Akatsuki base so that 'Tobi' could shed his false identity in order to resume his genuine counterpart.

Uchiha Madara.

There was a deliberate pause.

"I disagree." The oldest Uchiha spoke at last, his tone deceptively serene and unruffled. "She carries the sixth generation of Uchiha bloodline within her. _My bloodline_.

"I will inform Pein that the plan is to be postponed until after she gives birth." His voice became brisk. Itachi kept silent, the blank apathy of his aura apparent.

"You should have informed me though, but instead I had to learn of such interesting news from Zetsu."

"_It was not important_." The younger Uchiha insisted again, his voice composed and final, matching the tone of his predecessor word for word.

Once more, there was a long silence as Madara analyzed the blatant indifference in Itachi's smooth tenor.

"You do not know, do you?" Madara's question was quiet, and almost amused.

Itachi did not rise to take the bait—nor did he turn to regard the similarly emotionless crimson eyes of his ancestor.

But that was perfectly alright with Madara.

Itachi had been taught by him for nearly two decades—everything that the younger Uchiha knew had been passed on to him by his immortal antecedent. Madara knew his student well enough to read into his emotions—even when there appeared to be nothing to detect.

"In another month or so, Haruno Sakura will birth the next generation of Uchihas."

The implication behind Madara's one sentence was startlingly clear. Itachi stilled completely, as if muscles were frozen in place, joints locked with shock.

Uchihas.

Not Uchiha.

"Twins." The spiky-haired nin confirmed silkily. "I very nearly missed the second pulse of energy residing within her womb. She is probably not aware, but that is no surprise. The second fetus is hidden very closely behind the first, and while she is considered large for a single birth, her stomach appears almost too small to accommodate twins."

Itachi closed his eyes at the stunning news, but Madara was simply not done yet.

"How…unique." The masked-nin remarked blandly. "Twin birthing has never occurred within the House of Uchiha before. We had never been lucky enough…until now. You should feel proud, Itachi.

"Soon there will be yet another set of unique brothers…" The bladed Mangekyo Sharingan eye behind the orange mask was cold, glittering with greedy, ambitious excitement.

"_I want them_."

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

If your face is swelling at the moment from being smacked hard by this monstrously evil thing called P-L-O-T, I would advise you to put a cold towel on it. And once again, no lynching the authoress! As usual, she is not liable to any damages to human and/or properties during (and after) the reading of this chapter. With this warning in mind, you may start banging your head against any vertical and/or horizontal surfaces you find now.

Just kidding, of course.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Finally, the light is shed on Sakura's offspring. Twins! Aren't you pleased? I had felt ridiculously smug myself too, until I realized what a pain it was, going to have to creating two OCs. Bah.

And ah, yes. The P-L-O-T. I just cannot help myself, and it does make some sense that Madara would be very interested in twins, don't you think? If the proud Uchiha tradition of killing your sibling and gaining his eyes would unlock a new power, would the effect of identical twins give rise to another new type of doujutsu ability? Twins have completely similar DNA makeup after all; it would be something worth considering. At least, that's what I feel.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Technically, Itachi and Sakura's offspring are really the sixth generation Uchihas. How did I come to that conclusion? Well, consider the fact that the Uchiha clan joined Konoha officially during Madara's reign; that would make him the first generation Uchiha. Since he is the Shodaime's friend, it is natural to assume that they would be roughly the same age. The fact that Tsunade is the First's granddaughter would mean that she is one generation above Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, seeing that the Fifth is more than a decade older than the two, which would naturally make Fugaku and Mikoto fourth generation Uchihas. Itachi and Sasuke would be the fifth, and thus his offspring would become the sixth generation Uchihas. It's all just simple deduction, really, though I'm not quite sure if I'm correct on that count still.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Lastly, this is my first time writing Tobi _and_ Madara. Hope that he is not too OOC.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by: **FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6576

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 10/04/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 6

* * *

When Kisame arrived half an hour later, Sakura was most relieved to see the tall blue-haired nin.

The pink-haired female was almost recovered from the brief scare that she had received earlier and when the bewildered kunoichi relayed the events to the Kiri-nin she could not help but catch the quick flash of hesitation in Kisame's pale eyes.

"You should never trust anyone in the Akatsuki," the shark man had commented calmly before she could ask what he was thinking. "Our organization is held together only by a single common goal—power. Other than that our motives are our own and we do not always find it necessary to watch out for our fellow members."

"But Tobi-"

"I'm not very sure what is going on with that crazy firecracker and Akatsuki myself," Kisame cut in effortlessly before she could even finish her protest. "But I believe that Itachi never wanted you anywhere near him in the first place."

The blue-haired Akatsuki raised a brow at Sakura's disbelieving look.

"Think for a moment little Leaf, why else do you reckon that you had so successfully avoided the rest of the Akatsuki for so long?"

Sakura started to frown.

"You mean to tell me that Itachi-"

Kisame folded his arms across his chest and nodded.

"There is no such thing as being too paranoid around here," the powerful nin remarked. "Everyone living in the base had been viewed with the maximum potential to harm you and the kid inside you and therefore treated with great suspicion. Don't tell me you never noticed Itachi and I taking turns to look in on you in between our assignments."

Sakura did notice actually. She had just assumed that they didn't trust her to remain within the headquarters and not attempt an escape the moment she was unguarded. Now it appeared that her running off was the least of their concerns.

"Now, have you learnt your lesson?"

Kisame's tone was dry.

Sakura scowled at him before nodding her head grudgingly.

"Good. So I was thinking of doing a spot of training aboveground. Are you in the mood to take a walk, have some fresh air?"

* * *

Sakura sat contentedly under a huge Japanese maple tree as Kisame did his training exercises nearby. It was late spring, and the weather was simply gorgeous. The pink-haired kunoichi had brought a book along and was fulfilling some lazy reading under the late afternoon sunlight. A ways ahead, grunts and the whistling sound of a sword moving quickly against the air stream could be detected as the blue-haired Kiri-nin executed lunges and other intricate and often highly dangerous maneuvers with his beloved Samehada.

The large shark man was surprisingly graceful when it came to his swordplay, and Sakura had been mesmerized by the man's refined movements the first few times she had seen him training. Of course, it was still beautiful to watch now, but at the moment Sakura was in no mood to appreciate Kisame's finesse with his gigantic sword.

She couldn't even force herself to concentrate on her book.

No, the troubled female was occupied contemplating her circumstances. What did Kisame really mean earlier? What danger had Itachi foreseen, and what was he protecting her from? If Akatsuki was so dangerous to her, why did he still bring her here?

…could there be a plot against her?

Sakura frowned hard in thought, emerald eyes clouded with doubt. She was very aware of course, that Itachi simply would not give up on hunting down Naruto and that his organization desperately needed the Nine Tails for some sinister purpose that she once again was not privy to.

But did they really believe that Konoha would still come after her?

For Itachi, she had severed her ties with her country and friends. There was just no way that she could have both and still expect no bloodshed to occur, and now Sakura understood completely that the path she had chosen was a necessary choice.

Konoha would forget about her as time passed…and Akatsuki would not be able to use her to lure out Naruto again.

But still, her suspicion refused to die.

Why did Itachi bring her here if he had anticipated that it was dangerous? Why waste precious energy and resources guarding her when he could have left her back in Nami and no one would have been the wiser?

Why?

A large blue hand waved back and forth before her shuttered eyes. Sakura blinked and focused reluctantly back upon the nin crouched curiously by her side.

"Are you back now? Good. Because I had been calling you for a good minute or so and was starting to get worried."

Picking up the now wrapped Samehada from where he had placed it on the ground beside her, the tall male stood up and sheathed the large chakra-absorbing sword behind his back in one smooth maneuver. Having worked up a good sweat and thus completely refreshed, he spent a brief moment admiring the kaleidoscope of colors caused by the setting sun before glancing down at Sakura, who was only starting to realize that it was nearing dusk.

"Let's go. Itachi wants you back before nightfall," Kisame remarked as he stooped down slightly, wrapped a large hand around Sakura's elbow and easily hauled the awkward female to her feet. Then the blue-haired nin guided the heavily pregnant kunoichi to step off the blanket before bending down again to collect and fold the piece of cloth, retuning it to her only when it was in a neat, convenient little rectangle. Sakura murmured her thanks, and the two started back for the extensive network of underground caverns that was also Akatsuki's main base.

For a long period of time, both were content to keep to their own thoughts. The companionable silence was only occasionally broken by Kisame, who dutifully warned the kunoichi of the ever changing terrain so that she would not take a fall.

Then Sakura could not help herself any longer, and she blurted out her queries.

Kisame had stared ruefully at the insecure female.

"You know I can't answer that," the shark man spoke solemnly.

Sakura did not agree.

"You know something I don't," the kunoichi accused softly.

Kisame shrugged. "I know a lot of things you don't, little Leaf. The only thing I can guarantee you is that Itachi would not risk anything to hurt you, and that's all I can divulge."

Sakura scowled slightly.

"Even if that is so, he shouldn't have brought me back here! There is something more to this," Sakura insisted stubbornly.

The tall Kiri-nin had the gall to look disgruntled by Sakura's continuous badgering. "You are too inquisitive for your own damn good, you know that, right?" he grumbled, going so far to the extent of mumbling just why on earth his partner could not have chosen a more subservient woman to lay claim over. But he already knew the answer to that. Itachi would never have settled for just any weak-willed, powerless kunoichi—and besides, Sakura happened to be the only female on earth blind enough to fall in love with the highly dangerous, clan murdering nin.

Kisame had genuinely felt sorry for the poor kunoichi at first, but now he was starting to believe that they were probably a match made in heaven. Her determined pestering could drive a saint to drink, and Kisame was now starting to feel sorry for his poor partner instead.

"There is no free lunch in this world," a vexed Kisame responded to Sakura's unceasing pressing at last, but he was being so cryptic that she had no idea what he was trying to imply. Her frown deepened, but then the Kiri-nin continued to speak. "Oftentimes it's about a trade; what you are willing to exchange or give up, in order to ensure that the goals or people important to you remain unharmed."

Pale, sharp eyes pierced Sakura's own emerald orbs intently, suddenly so wise that the pink-haired female could only pause and stare.

"And you, little Leaf, you should know what I mean."

Sakura stiffened slightly, eyes darkening as she realized what Kisame was referring to.

Her betrayal to her country. Turning her back on her family, on her friends, her teachers.

The blue-haired male glanced askance at the distressed expression on Sakura's face and started to swear loudly.

Really, sometimes he sincerely wished that he could rip out his own big mouth.

"Look, Sakura-" Kisame attempted to explain what he meant.

But Sakura shook her head slightly.

"No. I know what you are trying to say." The kunoichi's voice was quiet, but firm. "It was something that I had to do, and I can't say that I have completely regretted how things have turned out in the end."

The tall Kiri-nin stared at Sakura for a long time. It was obvious even to him that she was still hurting, the raw emotional wound from brutally severing all ties to her village that day almost half a year ago still not healed. For someone like her, the mental anguish from leaving her loved ones would probably never fully fade away.

She simply cared too much, and for those in their line of work that trait was completely undesirable. Her heart was too soft, and in the end she would be hurting no one more than herself.

But then again, instead of forcefully strangling away that part of her that made her so very unique in their world, she had chosen to embrace it, to openly show her care and love to all her precious people.

Itachi must have noticed—noticed and realized just how much strength it took to wear her heart on her sleeve all the time, to bravely weather all the pain and shock that came with it and still remain as she was. She had remained loyal to her heart no matter what had happened, and even if she would have to pay the price for it she would still have done nothing to suppress or hide her emotions.

In that sense of manner, her willpower was completely astounding and it made Kisame respect this seemingly fragile little female even more.

The look on Kisame's face was gruff.

"You are a good girl, little Leaf. You are a good girl."

* * *

Naruto was going stir-crazy.

It has been nearly an entire month since he, together with Kakashi and Shikamaru, had returned to Konoha and the blonde Jinchuriki could hardly take it any longer.

What was the problem, you ask?

Well, they were still in Konoha, and according to the Nine Tails vessel, that alone was a _gigantic_ problem.

Despite baa-chan's promise to concoct a plan to bring Sakura back to where she belonged again, Naruto really felt that he could not wait any longer. To be honest, the helpless blonde felt that they had been doing nothing at all but sitting on their asses and twiddling their thumbs, and for all he knew his Sakura-chan could be _dying_ out there, faithfully believing in him, just waiting for them to come and rescue her from the evil clutches of the Akatsuki.

More than once he had mentioned his worries to his Hokage, and when the severity of the situation didn't seem to register with her (why else would she not give him the go ahead to rush to Ame right away and invade the Akatsuki's base?) Naruto had pitched a fit of titanic proportions before taking a free space ride across Konoha for all his diligent efforts, courtesy of baa-chan's super powered fists.

Not one nin within the conference room had dared to comment about the new Naruto-shaped window adorning the room—unlike Naruto who was denser than a rock, most had realized how the loss of one pink-haired medic-nin had deeply affected her teacher as well, and that Tsunade was equally as stressed as her oblivious blonde counterpart, if not even more.

Stomping out of the Hokage tower and into the village to look for Naruto's sorry carcass hadn't improved her mood very much either, and when Tsunade finally found the dazed Jounin she had grabbed him roughly and angrily informed the blonde brat that if he ever tried anything like that again she was going to ground him until his great-grandchildren had grandchildren themselves.

The remark was swiftly followed by a light cuff to his head which sent him tumbling ass over head for at least a hundred feet.

In the face of such overwhelming odds, Naruto admitted defeat.

He followed his disgruntled Hokage back to the meeting room like an obedient puppy with its tail tucked between its legs, and Shikamaru had rolled his eyes, amongst the muted snickers of fellow nin and aides alike.

Mendoukusai.

* * *

Dinner was a mostly silent affair.

Itachi had been as expressionless as ever when Kisame had arrived back at the suite with her in tow. The blue-haired nin was well aware of the Uchiha's presence of course—as well as the younger male's less than congenial temperament at the moment.

Therefore poor Sakura was literally dumped into the suite and promptly abandoned as the shark man made a rapid disappearance, presumably as far away from that particular area as possible. He had no intention of lingering around only to be dragged into a domestic dispute of ninja proportions. Those were always messy, and even worse than the process of capturing a thrashing, furious, monolithic tailed demon.

And so Sakura was left all alone, tossed into the lion's den and expected to have dinner—while trying her best not to get eaten in the process.

He was sitting calmly by the dining table as she entered, pale, patrician profile blanked as he observed her slow movements towards him.

Her face was flushed and tinted pink from her rousing stroll aboveground, her eyes were still bright and glowing despite the brevity of his mood blanketing the entire room—even her hair seemed to shimmer with health, the long strands moving silkily behind her as if possessing minds of their own.

But as she approached, the look on her face became less animated and more subdued, her eyes growing mildly wary and apprehensive as they searched his for any sign of temper and agitation. There were none that could be detected, of course, but the heavy atmosphere surrounding him was yet another different story by itself.

Even if he wasn't downright furious now, Sakura was well aware that he was at least distinctly irritated.

She sighed inwardly, and then she came to a stop before him.

It was odd, how those cold crimson eyes of his could look as if he was towering over her when clearly she was the one standing over his seated form. The food sitting on the table was promptly forgotten as her eyes locked with his.

Looking at her now, he could not help but come to the reluctant understanding that she clearly did not belong here—it had only been a month or so since she had been brought to the underground base and already her luster was waning. The exhaustion of pregnancy was apparent in her eyes, the strain from the increased weight that she was carrying making her appear even more fragile than ever, even when she was a lot stronger than she looked. Still, it was obvious to him now that she needed more than he could give her; the emotional comforts of surrounding family, the medical expertise that only Konoha could provide.

He looked hard at her rapidly expanding middle, the place that generously housed his children.

She still appeared too small to be carrying twins, but then again, there were even more impossible things that had happened.

She sighed again, this time loud enough to be heard by him. She looked away, the first to back down.

"I'm tired," she spoke quietly, not wishing to spend the entire night subjected to his displeasure. "I'm going to bed."

The pink-haired female started to turn away but before she could do so completely his hand shot out, and long fingers curled around her wrist like steel manacles. He wasn't hurting her, but she had no doubt that unless he permitted it she would not be going anywhere this evening.

"Sit," he spoke at last, his voice terse. She looked at him for a brief moment, and then started to lower herself down on the chair nearest to him. Imagine her surprise when he shook his head once at her, and then proceeded to gently tug her to him. Before she was aware of what he was doing she was perched sideways on his lap, his hand around her wrist relenting in order to find new purchase around her slender ribs, right above her swelling abdomen. He anchored her securely to him, but still Sakura protested.

She was definitely getting too big for this, in all sense of the word.

"Itachi-"

He was suddenly treating her like fragile porcelain, and she wasn't entirely sure that she liked it. Their eyes met as she turned her head to look at him, and then he lowered his proud head to nudge his nose down the elegant curve of her jaw.

Sakura was completely bewildered—but she trusted him enough to relax into his larger body as his own tensed muscles loosened up in her presence. Her hand came up hesitantly, still not completely sure of the reason behind his sudden burst of affection. Her fingers ran gently through his long raven hair, and he closed his eyes at her calming touch.

"Eat." His voice was a soft whisper as his lips moved against her neck, and then he drew back slightly to allow her space to take her meal. "You need the nourishment."

Sakura could not disagree with that. Nodding once and turning her attention to the food on the table, she picked up the pair of chopsticks and proceeded to choose from the wide array of dishes presented before her. It was a little odd in her new position, but eventually she tossed caution aside and dug in. Before long she was daintily filling her starving stomach with food, content to remain as she was against him.

He didn't seem inclined to feed as well, and so she assumed immediately that he had already eaten. In truth, the Uchiha appeared completely absorbed with her body—again. His elegant, long-tipped fingers roved lazily over her pregnant form, not necessarily in a sexual manner and it was actually comforting really, to have him stroke her like he was doing right now.

Sakura did not look him in the eye; the pink-haired female was fully aware that he probably appeared as dispassionate as ever even when his talented hands were working their magic on her aching and exhausted body. She didn't mind; his actions spoke more than anything could. The kunoichi continued to eat, slowly enjoying her food and not at all concerned when his hand rested lightly upon her swollen belly.

The gathering of his chakra was obvious to her as well, but she was hardly alarmed, not even when he subtly injected his powerful energy into her womb.

After all, he had done this so many times already that she was long since used to it.

What was mildly out of the norm, however, was the almost delicate way he was directing his chakra around her womb, as if searching for something. That was hardly normal, when he would always source out their baby immediately and amuse himself with their child's almost immediate response to his chakra stimulation.

That itself was yet another mystery, according to Sakura.

As far as she knew, she had never been much of an energetic baby. Judging from how Itachi was now, she sincerely doubted that he was much of a kicker either.

So why was this baby within her so impossibly active?

Sakura could almost swear she was being kicked black and blue from the inside, so frequent were the fetal movements within her.

The pink-haired female winced in surprise when her lover prodded too hard within her.

"What on earth are you doing, Itachi?" Sakura demanded in a sharp gasp, dropping her utensils onto the table with a careless clatter as she tried to turn to him for an explanation.

He allowed her to do no such thing, holding on to her hard, rounded stomach firmly as he continued to delve precisely into her womb.

He found what he was looking for within seconds, and with the inevitable confirmation something…flashed within the Uchiha's emotionless crimson eyes.

He withdrew his chakra immediately.

"My apologies." There was an odd quality in his voice that had never been there before, and Sakura frowned slightly. "Are you finished with your meal?"

The way he smoothly diverted her from asking what all that was about did not escape her notice. Sakura's frown deepened but she nodded all the same, very well aware that he wouldn't reveal anything to her unless he chose to. No amount of badgering was going to get her anywhere with him.

He released his hold on her at last, and with slight difficulty Sakura stood up and moved away from him, biting her lips unconsciously as her back protested immediately at her sudden shift in posture.

Her stiffness must have been apparent to him, and the Uchiha unfolded himself gracefully from the chair, moving behind the pregnant little female, a large hand pressed lightly against her back. The kunoichi leaned gratefully against that slight pressure immediately, unable to prevent the soft sigh of relief that escaped her lips when he started rub against that particularly achy spot.

"When are you due?" he asked quietly from behind her, his smooth, lilting tenor making her insides shiver with suppressed pleasure.

" …six more weeks to go, if all goes to plan."

There was no further reply from him, and when she appeared to be reduced to a pile of purring, contented female in his arms he withdrew slowly from her, much to her immediate protests.

"Rest." His voice rang out calmly from behind her as he pushed her lightly in the direction of the bedroom. "I have something to attend to."

Then he paused for a brief moment before speaking again, his voice changing to become coldly emotionless.

A clear warning.

"Stay away from Tobi."

Before she could even turn around to look at him, he was gone.

* * *

Kisame knew immediately when Itachi appeared on his doorstep that the younger male had finally made up his mind.

It was really no surprise, especially after what he had heard from Sakura earlier.

"So, you are planning to cut her loose."

There was no reply from the stone-faced Uchiha, but once again Kisame understood. They had been partners for more than a decade after all.

"I can help," the shark man muttered, flashing the emotionless male a small grin. "When?"

Although it was unspoken knowledge that she was supposed to be used as a lure for the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, the little Leaf was still technically Itachi's private business and therefore Kisame knew that he was not going against Akatsuki policies. The pink-haired female was not a prisoner after all, in the strictest sense of the word of course.

This time, Itachi answered him.

"Two weeks."

* * *

Sakura saw very little of Itachi for two entire weeks.

For some reason he always left the suite early and returned late, and there were days when she doubted that he even came back for the night. Predictably, the sudden increase of activity made the kunoichi a little nervous.

Was the Akatsuki on the move again?

After all, from what she had managed to learn, Tobi and Zetsu had already headed out again to fulfill their respective missions. She was not too sure about Konan and Pein of course, but the kunoichi clearly was not interested in asking.

Prodding at Kisame for answers had not worked at all this time around. The tall Kiri-nin was determinedly closed mouthed regarding the entire affair and Sakura could only keep her worries to herself.

Itachi was not much help either. She had tried to stay awake long enough to catch him when he returned but it was completely impossible. With the steady progression of her pregnancy, Sakura felt as exhausted as if she had been training non-stop everyday. She was unbearably tired and sleepy and often failed to remain awake within mere hours after nightfall, let alone to wait till after midnight for the return of her mysterious lover.

Oh, she felt him come in…_sometimes_, but could never seem to peel open her eyelids to look at him. She probably would have been a lot more motivated to awaken to demand some answers from him if not for the fact that he would always slip into bed behind her and pull her up against his warm body, his reassuring hands running across her gently rounded form as if to inspect her condition for him self. And so she had remained contentedly toasty and pressed against his body and surrounded by his familiar scent, sleeping even more deeply than ever, if that was possible.

She always enjoyed a very good night's sleep with him around, only to awake the next morning all alone and highly disgruntled by his absence again. It was a continuous cycle for the whole of the two weeks, and Sakura wanted nothing more than to find out just what was going on.

Obviously, no one was willing to tell her, and since she had no intention of approaching any other Akatsuki members to ask, she was clearly stuck in a rut.

Then there was the odd fact that Kisame was now refusing to allow her to step foot anywhere outside the suite, and when asked about it the shark man had shrugged nonchalantly and remarked that she was so near to her due date that he didn't want to risk anything that might incite her to go into premature labor. Itachi would be most displeased, he cited as his main reason. As surprised as she had been with his knowledge regarding childbirth and the such, the bewildered kunoichi was further nonplussed when the Kiri-nin kept insisting for her to eat well and rest lots, going to the extent of bringing food with him every time he dropped by to visit, which was everyday, to be honest.

And so left with nothing to vent her frustrations and worries on, the kunoichi could only chew and tear voraciously into the foodstuff that Kisame had provided her, the blue-haired Akatsuki watching with amused scrutiny as she finished everything he brought to her daily. By the end of the fourth day, Sakura was starting to cotton on the fact that Kisame was diligently trying to fatten her up like a pig to slaughter and she told him so too, as well as how she hardly appreciated it now that she was as big as an elephant.

Kisame had cheerfully assured her that she wasn't nearly as big as an elephant just yet, maybe only heifer-sized, though she was certainly welcome to achieve that goal of hers if it bothered her so much. Sakura would have murdered the grinning nin on the spot if she could move.

In the end, the two week passed by easily with Sakura being none the wiser regarding the plot against her, as well as the chaotic upheaval that was about to uproot her almost repaired life once more.

* * *

They were all gathered there, by the dense rainforest of Kumo.

Pein.

Itachi.

Madara.

The official leader of the Akatsuki had come as summoned, appearing in his holographic form before the two Uchihas.

The Rinnegan pierced into Itachi's Sharingan briefly before turning to the mysterious masked male standing at the centre of the isolated clearing.

"Madara-sama."

Madara acknowledged the greeting with a negligent gesture.

"Itachi called this meeting. I believe that he has something to say."

Pein stared hard at the younger Uchiha. "Is that so? Perhaps you should inform me of what is going on first before going to Madara-sama, Itachi."

The long, raven-haired male did not seem bothered that he had failed to observe common protocol. Madara only appeared darkly amused, if his aura was to be of any indication.

Itachi ignored the verbal jab from his superior.

"The capture of the Kyuubi has to be postponed." His voice was cold, unyielding.

"Impossible."

Pein's reaction was immediate, and equally uncompromising. The Rinnegan clashed with the Sharingan and held. "We need to seal the Nine Tails to complete the ritual. It is the very last step and time is running out. Madara-sama has agreed to wait until after that kunoichi of yours has given birth. No more."

Itachi was hardly intimidated.

"She had been bleeding from her womb. There is a possibility that she may lose the twins."

Pein was unconcerned.

"If she miscarries, then you shall simply impregnate her again. The time for sealing the Kyuubi, on the other hand, comes once every ten years. _We cannot wait any longer_."

From the mask's single eye-hole, Madara's crimson eye _glowed_.

"_No_," the oldest Uchiha interrupted immediately. "The kunoichi cannot be allowed to lose the fetuses within her. _I want them_."

Madara was adamant.

Pein stared at his unofficial leader.

"Madara-sama-"

The spiky-haired Uchiha shook his head once, his stance resolute. The mad glitter in his eye was evident to all who bothered to look.

"Never has any female in the Uchiha clan birthed twins before," the immortal rasped. "If Itachi's kunoichi miscarries, it is not certain that she may conceive twins again. And I'm most interested in wanting to _experiment_ if completely identical brothers could unlock a different kind of special power to evolve within the Mangekyo."

The single ruby eye flickered silkily over to meet that of its kin.

"_And my prodigious student has already promised me his children, haven't you, Itachi?_"

It was as if Madara was only talking about the fates of inconsequential test subjects, not his very own blood kin; his descendents.

The younger Uchiha stared back into the crimson depths of his teacher, eyes cold and dispassionate. He nodded once in response, curtly. He had been taught well.

Power would always be more important than blood, after all. It was one of the first things that Madara had passed on to him, and it had been with that firm belief in mind that he had been able to brutally wipe out his entire clan in the span of a single night.

Why do you even need family, if you can be the most powerful man in the world?

Madara had taught his student all too well.

Satisfied, the oldest Uchiha turned his attention back to Pein.

"The capture of the Kyuubi will be postponed." Madara's tone was final. "Her wellbeing and that of the lives existing within her womb is of top priority at the moment; nothing will supersede that until her offspring are born."

In an uncharacteristic display of fury, Pein's Rinnegan flared, the concentric circles around his pupils glowing with intensity. The stony expression of the faux Akatsuki leader did not change, however.

"Patience, Pein," the oldest Uchiha reminded almost serenely. "Remember that those of my blood share a wretched affinity with the Nine Tails, King of Demons. Remember that I had been the one to send the Kyuubi Konoha's way. I, as well as all of my descendents, would also have the same ability to rip the demon away from Leaf's possessive grasp."

Pein's eyes became carefully blanked.

"That may be so, but all these needless delays could have been easily avoided if your protégé would quit screwing around with his pregnant whore."

Itachi stilled impossibly at the icy insult.

_Then his Sharingan became bladed,_ _evolving into the Mangekyo within the blink of an eye_.

No other reaction was needed.

Madara was greatly amused, the overwhelming amounts of killing intent erupting from the two powerful nins simply intoxicating to him.

"Have some respect, Pein." The immortal's gravelly voice was sedate. "That kunoichi in question has already by far surpassed the Godaime Hokage in terms of abilities. She would strengthen the bloodline of the House of Uchiha and besides…"

The true leader of the Akatsuki eyed his flame-haired subordinate delicately. "It is highly possible that she may be even more powerful than Konan."

There was no outward reaction from Pein, but the way his eyes froze over spoke volumes. Itachi was as expressionless as ever, and at last, the immortal Uchiha decided to quit baiting both nins.

"Return her to Konoha."

Madara's response was exactly as Itachi had expected. There was no change of expression on the younger Uchiha's face, but once again something dark flashed across Pein's unique eyes.

"My contacts reveal that they still have not given up in retrieving her." Madara's tone was detached. "Konoha is weak; they will take her in and act as if nothing had happened, just like the way they had foolishly forgiven your brother for his treachery, Itachi."

The crimson-eyed male kept silent.

"They will guard her closely—we will have difficulties retrieving her after she gives birth," Pein stated with renewed apathy, his composure returning eventually.

"True, however she is blindly loyal to Itachi. They can only do so much to attempt to stop her if she is determined to return to his side."

Pein raised a thin brow, the twin rows of piercings along the bridge of his nose bringing attention to his cold, patrician features as he did so.

"You will put trust on something as flimsy as personal attachment?"

Despite the mask he had on, the way Madara looked at Pein was almost eerie but the other nin was hardly terrified. The Rinnegan was calm and still as they reflected the gleam of crimson hidden within the swirls of orange, and Madara considered his puppet leader for what appeared to be a very long time.

"No," the immortal Uchiha answered at last, his voice blandly dispassionate.

"I put my trust explicitly in Itachi."

* * *

She had been given no warning whatsoever.

One moment she was settled on the couch, a medical scroll in hand as she prepared to spend a night doing some light reading and the next _he_ was back, the sound of the shoji door sliding open apparent as she looked up from the rare piece of knowledge filled parchment.

She could only stare as he stood by the entrance of the suite. It had been two whole weeks since she had 'literally' last laid eyes upon him, and her eyes darkened at the sight of him.

He was paler than ever, but his countenance remained tall and proud as he stared back at her. The Akatsuki cloak was wrapped around his lithe, muscular form but it could not hide what she could clearly see. His high cheekbones were unbelievably prominent, dark rings from lack of rest smudged his crimson eyes, the lines of stress running down his sharp, patrician features appearing to be etched even deeper into his skin. The skin around his lips was pinched with exhaustion and strain, and he was now truly gaunt, precious weight having been melted off his lean frame in a matter days. Even his silky raven hair had taken a hit; the long obsidian strands seemingly tousled and not as well tended to as they normally were.

To tell the truth, he was almost haggard in appearance, and Sakura bit her lip to prevent herself from emitting a whimper of distress.

The precious scroll in her hand was promptly set aside and forgotten as the kunoichi immediately got off the sofa to reach her lover's side, beautiful emerald eyes shimmering with concern as she approached him as rapidly as her heavily pregnant form could allow. He seemed to understand her intention, and saved her some trouble by shutting the door behind him and moving towards her.

"Are you injured?" she asked immediately as she looked him over as best as she could. With practiced ease, her hands reached up to undo the voluminous cloak that marked him a key member of his organization and he allowed her to do so, watching calmly as she undressed him and tossed the heavy material aside.

He didn't appear to be injured, and for that she heaved a mental sigh of relief.

But then her heart started to ache again when she glimpsed of his lean frame, almost skeletal if not for sinewy muscles and skin.

What had he been doing for the past fortnight?

She could not help but trail soft fingers against his worn-out features, and in response his ruby eyes never left hers as she ran her hand carefully down the side of his cheek. Then she dropped her arm and stepped nearer towards him; evidently just touching him was not enough and she wanted more. Even though he was never one for overt displays of affection, she wrapped her arms around him all the same, pressing herself tightly against him and trying her best to ignore how emaciated he was becoming.

She failed completely when his arms came around her softly contoured form, long fingers running up and down her side, her thickened waist, her pregnant belly. It was then, when he finally allowed himself to relax, highly tensed muscles loosening gradually as he simply held her against him, her pink head tucked snugly under his chin as she remained willingly in the loose circle of his arms.

"You are too thin," she blurted out at last, worry evident in her voice. He merely closed his eyes and thrummed a noncommittal reply that reverberated from his chest.

She refused to give up easily.

Determinedly, she started to prod at him to let go of her, and when he didn't seem inclined to obey her unspoken request she immediately demanded to be released.

"Itachi, let me call the servants." The kunoichi protested when he still refused to let go of her. "You need to eat properly-"

"Not now."

Later he would eat. Later there would be all the time in the world for him to take care of his own basic needs. But now was for her, and he knew very well that time had finally run out.

He had to tell her—and now.

"Sakura." He waited patiently for her to turn her delicate heart-shaped face towards him, to look at him with that brilliant emerald gaze of hers, both expectant and trusting as she stared into his own crimson depths.

The pink-haired kunoichi frowned inwardly at the way he was looking at her with such impenetrable scrutiny.

"Yes?" Something was off, that much she could tell. There was a strange light in his eyes and Sakura was not sure that it bode well.

"You will not be staying here any longer."

She really did frown this time.

"Not stay here…?" she echoed, not really understanding what he meant. However, the stiff urgency in his tone made her instincts stir with rising alarm. "Then where…?"

She was almost afraid to know. What had just happened? What was going on?

He looked at her tensed, worried face, and quickly came to the conclusion that she shouldn't have to worry and fear for the lives of herself and that of their children all the time. And it happened to be something that he could remedy right now.

Crimson eyes became hard. Unyielding.

"You are going back to Konoha."

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Eh. Surprisingly, I have nothing much to write here today, other than for the standard 'Please don't kill the authoress' spiel that you people have already read of for the past few updates. I think I'm getting better and better at my 'cliffhanger no jutsu', though of course I can never compare to our great Kishimoto-sama, who delights in nothing better than to see his fans rip out their hair in frustration.

Maybe I will have to practice some more.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Well, I will give you guys a brief update on Curtain Call instead. Tentatively, I have just completed the entire epic two nights ago. Last I saw it's at 178 pages long, at a staggering length of 116 753 words. Yes, even I'm bewildered and quite confused by what I had written, and thus I'm currently in the process of wading through all the rubbish that I had speed typed. Yes, it needs to be edited because I had rushed to complete CC in under two months, and thus it's somewhat of a mess at the moment.

I should be done soon though, and will probably be shipping the entire load of chapters to my four betas by next week, and after that the rate of updates would depend on how fast my wonderful betas can work. Bow to their greatness, my fellow fanfic-reading minions!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6646

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 18/04/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 7

* * *

Sakura could not believe her ears.

"What?" She whispered, almost as if any louder and she would wake up from this surreal dreamscape.

But it was no dream.

He looked at her flatly, completely unwilling to repeat his earlier announcement.

"…Konoha?" Her voice was faint, but the reiteration of her country immediately flooded her with images of her beloved village. Friends. Families. Teammates.

The shock in her eyes changed, shifted to become something easily recognizable to him even though she had not voiced it.

Hope. Painful hope.

And he knew that he was right.

Not once in the past half a year that she had spent as a nukenin had she even attempted to try to forget about her past, and he was sure by now that she never would. After all, all her precious people were there, and what she had back in Konoha was something that he could never give her.

"I can never return to Konoha."

Her face crumpled slightly, her eyes clouded with sadness. Then she looked at him.

"I'm also a nukenin now, remember? They will never let me go back." Her broken whisper made something within him shift. He wasn't quite sure what, but it prompted him to tell her what she needed to know.

"They are looking for you right now."

Once again, Sakura could not believe what Itachi was saying. She stared at him with disbelieving eyes, wide and confused.

"I don't understand…"

She was going to be unforgiving in her anger when she found out the entire truth, and he knew well enough that it was something that could not be hidden from her. She was just too intelligent, this kunoichi of his, and no amount of concealment could hide away the plans that he would have been perfectly willing to go through if not for this unexpected change in circumstance.

"You underestimated the will of your friends and teammates," he answered at last, his voice low and toneless. "They never gave up on you, especially the Kyuubi Jinchuriki."

Emerald eyes widened silently in shock. They never gave…up…on her?

"But…" Her eyes softened, and then became completely accepting as she thought of her precious people. She had really hoped that they would forget about her with time, but it brought her joy all the same to realize that they hadn't done so.

Then the realization came, that he had kept the truth from her. She began to frown slightly.

"How long have you known?"

He would not lie.

"Since the very beginning." The look in his crimson eyes was unapologetic.

"You never intended to tell me," she accused. He merely continued staring at her, quietly waiting for her to come to her final conclusion.

Which she did.

The reason why he didn't want her to know quickly became painfully clear to her when she thought about it a little more. Slowly, she began to stiffen in his arms, and painful betrayal shone in her eyes.

"You were still planning to use me to capture Naruto." Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

It was the truth. He nodded once, curtly.

All this time when she was contentedly playing house with him and slowly starting to grow accustomed to her new living environment he had been plotting with the rest of the Akatsuki to use her to trap Naruto. Cheerful, happy Naruto, who had such a big heart and huge aspirations to become Hokage just so that he could help those in need and protect all his precious people. Her heart's brother, but all these people could see was just that thing residing within him, not how great he would become one day with the aid of nothing more than his own hard work and determination.

Emerald eyes darkened with further upset.

Sakura could not help but feel as if she has just been deceived.

"Why?" She demanded immediately, her agitation growing in rapid proportion. "Why can't you just leave Naruto alone?!"

Itachi did not answer her.

Sakura felt her disappointment threaten to overwhelm her very being. She closed her eyes and fought not to flinch with hurt.

He released her abruptly; there was no use holding onto her if she was already emotionally distancing herself from him.

"We leave for Konoha tomorrow morning." His voice was deliberately blank as he stepped away from her, and in her current volatile and upset condition Sakura really felt like weeping as his warmth faded from her body. She was determined not to let him see her tears of course, and so Sakura willed herself to be strong. Watching him turn away from her hurt, and Sakura never wanted him to leave like that.

But her sadness formed a lump in her throat that just refused to go away, and so she said not a word, and could only watch as he left the suite.

* * *

Kisame frowned when he came to retrieve the little Leaf early next morning.

The evidence of Itachi's return was written all over her face.

Really, only the Uchiha could succeed in making this particular female so upset and distressed in the span of one short encounter. The shark man could not help but feel as if all his hard work for the past fortnight had been all wiped away and tossed aside as he glimpsed upon Sakura's pale face and distraught features. It even looked to him like she had not slept last night at all, and inwardly the Hoshigaki cursed his teammate.

Seriously, what was Itachi thinking? She was so advanced in her stage of pregnancy that any little upset may trigger her to go into labor and yet there he was, doing his best to agitate the heavily expectant mother.

Sakura lifted lethargic eyes to meet the pale gaze of the blue haired nin. The kunoichi was miles and miles away from the same contented, smiling female whom he had seen yesterday afternoon. She looked so very fragile right now, the utterly defeated light in her sad eyes, the betrayed slump of her shoulders all painting a most pitiful sight indeed.

"Hey. You ready to go?" Kisame mumbled gruffly, not all too sure how to proceed with the pink-haired female. By all means and purposes she should be over the moon right now; after all, she was about to be returned to her precious Konoha. But that was not the case, and Kisame suspected that he knew the reason why.

The Kiri-nin heaved an inward sigh. What a silly female.

What a silly, utterly devoted female.

It was apparent that despite everything that had happened, she still could not put aside her worry for Itachi.

Kisame did not know whether to feel admiration or disgust.

Despite her loyalty, this Konoha kunoichi was definitely more trouble than she was worth. It certainly would not be fair for him to say that Itachi had not been affected by her at all. To be honest, his cold, dispassionate partner was _changing_, and Kisame was not sure if that was a good sign or not. Her presence was causing a lot of unnecessary disturbances for Itachi and truthfully, if he wasn't absolutely certain that the Uchiha would _kill_ him if he so much as hurt the little Leaf he would have done a great favor to the younger male and disposed of his lover for him.

Never mind that he himself was rather fond of the feisty pink-haired female. When it came to the basics of life, self-preservation was the only thing that truly mattered.

You enter this world alone; you will leave this world alone.

Friends, families, allies are but only temporary attachments.

Survival was the main key after all, and it seemed to the Kiri-nin that Itachi was starting to lose touch with that hard edge they all needed to keep razor-sharp in order to survive in this cutthroat, extremely lethal world that they lived in.

That rule was especially important for them; missing-nins of the highest caliber, always hunted and never allowed to let their guards down.

Itachi was getting too attached, and unfortunately there was nothing much for Kisame to do other than to stand aside and watch the inevitable.

This will be how the mighty fall.

But at least, it wouldn't be for an unworthy cause.

After all, the natural instinct to protect one's offspring had been present ever since the beginning of Time.

"…you knew about the plan from the very beginning too."

It wasn't a question that she was asking.

Kisame nodded, seeing no reason to lie.

The kunoichi stared at him with eyes dark with betrayal, and privately Kisame wondered why he was feeling this sense of discontent in her disappointed gaze.

"Don't look at me like that." The blue-haired nin spoke as brusquely as he could manage. "You know that we are just doing what we are told to do; we have nothing against that blonde friend of yours."

It was true after all, and after spending an entire night thinking of everything that had happened so far Sakura didn't think that she had the heart—or will to go head on head with one of the most supportive person during her stay here in the Akatsuki base. They were convinced that they were right, she was equally certain that they were wrong.

It was a stalemate, and Sakura was hurting because of it.

The kunoichi seemed to have nothing more to say and Kisame gestured to the silent female.

"Come on, he's waiting outside for you."

Predictably, Sakura was ready to leave with nothing more than the clothes on her back, as well as some basic necessities and foodstuff that would be required during the journey back to Konoha. Although Ame was geographically situated by the northwestern borders of Fire country, Konohagakure no Sato was located right in its midst, which would take some traveling time before she arrived home in the village again. Coupled with the fact that she was heavily pregnant and technically not supposed to be traveling long distances in her current condition, the kunoichi estimated that it was going to take at least two or three days on the road before she would be able to reach Konoha.

Just thinking of her beloved village and wondering how her friends and family were going to react to her return made Sakura feel joyful and hesitant at the same time. A part of her could not wait to return to home, but one thing refused to leave her troubled mind, dampening her happiness.

Itachi.

As Sakura followed quietly behind Kisame down the many passageways of the underground Akatsuki base, she could not help but blurt out her questions.

"Kisame." She called out. The blue-haired nin stopped immediately to turn his attention to her.

"Yes?"

Sakura caught up to the powerful shark man, and shortening his strides this time Kisame started to walk again, this time staying abreast of the pink-haired kunoichi.

"If Akatsuki wants to use me to lure out Naruto, then why am I still allowed to return to Konoha?"

Pale eyes regarded the small, pregnant female.

Then Kisame shook his head slightly.

"Why do you have to ask so many questions, little Leaf?" He asked. "Couldn't you just be grateful that you are finally going to leave this place?"

Emerald eyes narrowed upon the tall Kiri-nin.

"You people are not known for doing things out of the kindness of your hearts." Her voice was sharp with the stress that she was feeling. "_I want to know why_."

Kisame was almost amused with her edginess. He glanced askance at her stiffened form and really did sigh out aloud this time.

"Itachi negotiated for your release."

Sakura was stunned.

_Itachi negotiated for her release?  
_

Disbelief filled her entire being. Then the barrage of questions flooded her bewildered mind.

Why? Why propose to return her to Konoha when everything was going so smoothly? What was he thinking? Was this part of another plot?

And most importantly, _what had he promised in return for her freedom_?

Itachi had _negotiated_ for her release. Negotiate, which meant that some form of compromise had been reached and the kunoichi was almost terrified to know what it was.

Before Sakura could open her mouth to press further, the tall shark man shook his head at her.

"I can only tell you this much. The rest is not in my place to say. If you really want to know, ask Itachi."

And so Sakura kept her questions to herself, inwardly mulling over what Kisame had just told her.

It made no sense at all. Itachi had as much as admitted to her last night that he had wanted to use her to lure out Naruto. He had expected from the beginning that her blonde best friend and the others would be looking for her. He had even been prepared never to let her know, and she would have spent the rest of her life thinking that Konoha would never forgive her for what she had chosen to do.

Then all of a sudden Kisame informed her that Itachi had been the one to initiate her release from Akatsuki—why?

As usual, everything had been meticulously maneuvered into position thanks to his careful planning and strategizing. But in agreeing to return her to Leaf he had as good as flushed away all his plans down the proverbial drain.

It made no sense at all, and Sakura doubted that the Akatsuki would be ambitious enough to plan a full fledged attack against Konoha. Her village was just too powerful, and definitely would not fall easily, not even to a small group of highly trained, highly deadly S-class criminals.

Sakura's brow furrowed slightly.

So just what was going on?

Could he be…protecting her?

By now, they were only one corner away from the exit of the underground caverns and Kisame drew to a stop. Sakura halted beside him as well, and looked at her escort quizzically.

"This is where we part ways."

Sakura stared at Kisame in surprise. She had thought that he would be accompanying Itachi.

The shark man shook his head, evidently detecting her thoughts.

"Missions." The tall nin stated by way of explanation. "It's my turn this week and the next, seeing that Itachi has fulfilled his share of assignments for the last fortnight."

"I see." There was nothing much to say. Then, Sakura remembered her manners—and gratitude.

This seemingly bloodthirsty and dangerous man standing before her had helped prevent her stay here from becoming an absolute misery. Sakura owed him, for his company, for his startlingly wise and insightful conversations, for his dry humor.

Before the surprised Kiri-nin could stop her, the kunoichi bowed deeply towards him. Kisame's eyes nearly bugged out in his worried surprise—by now she had grown so big that he was half-concerned that she would pop when she bowed awkwardly towards him.

"Thank you."

Her whisper was so sincere and genuine that the blue-haired nin was at loss of what to say. To think that he had been contemplating taking her life but moments ago, and here she was looking at him with gratitude shining intensely in her emerald eyes as she finally straightened from her dangerous acrobatic maneuver.

"Don't thank me." Kisame could only mutter gruffly, feeling lower than a cockroach. "I was just doing what Itachi wanted me to do."

Sakura was not buying his bluster. A small smile appeared on her face, and she appeared so calm and serene that it was almost as if her stress and worries had never been there in the first place. Kisame could only stare.

Then the blue-haired nin made a small exasperated sound in the back of his throat.

He was admitting defeat.

"Take good care of the brat and yourself." Kisame gestured halfheartedly at her heavily rounded middle. They were both very aware, of course, that this was probably going to be the last time their paths would cross again.

Sakura nodded.

"Goodbye, Kisame."

She started to walk towards the exit.

"Little Leaf." Kisame called out before she could disappear completely around the corner, his low bass echoing around them in the large confines of the cave.

The pink-haired female paused and turned around slightly to regard him.

Kisame gave the little female a small, toothy grin.

It was a reassuring sight. Well, almost.

"Remember what I told you that time when we were walking back from training."

Sakura frowned, but before she could ask what he meant, the tall nin was already strolling back where he came from, lifting an arm up and waving lazily until he disappeared from sight.

* * *

She saw him the very moment she was in sight of the entrance leading to the vast network of large underground caverns that served as the Akatsuki base.

He was waiting calmly by the mouth of the cave, and in the semi darkness his eyes glowed crimson, emotionless as ever. The familiar black cloak with red clouds was not on him this time around, and he blended perfectly with the surroundings.

She walked steadily towards him.

Sakura tried her very best not to look at him as she stopped before him, and forced herself to fix her attention somewhere else. She turned her gaze to the scenery just beyond the caverns, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise at what she saw.

"Let's go." His voice broke through her stupor and she could only stare at him as he started to walk towards the horse drawn carriage.

A lot slower in movement compared to the smooth gait of the long-legged male before her, she fell into step behind him. To occupy herself, she ran her eyes briefly over the four-horse team a small distance away, taking particular note of the large and powerful thoroughbreds as well as the almost extravagant carriage that they were harnessed to.

Of course it made perfect sense that there would be some form of transportation for her. She was so pregnant now that traveling in any other form was downright impossible—not to mention highly dangerous. Sakura could not help but wonder where they had procured the horse carriage though—there was even a driver now that she noticed, albeit a slightly nervous looking one.

Itachi ignored the stammered greetings of the coach driver when they drew near, and instead approached the large vehicle and easily opened the door. The awkward pink-haired female was then helped into the carriage and just when she thought that they were planning to send her back to Konoha alone the tall raven-haired Uchiha ducked into the coach as well, casually pulling the door shut behind him and taking a seat beside Sakura.

The carriage promptly rumbled into movement, clattering against rocky ground as they began to set forth towards Fire country.

For the next five minutes or so, not one word was spoken in the eerily silent compartment as Sakura sat stiffly beside Itachi. In sharp contrast to her blatant discomfort to his overwhelming proximity, the Uchiha was calm and unemotional, not the least bothered by the amount of tension in the air around him.

In the end, Sakura could not take it anymore.

"What are you planning?" She asked abruptly into the still silence. The pink-haired female turned her head to regard her lover, and hard emerald clashed with blanked crimson and held. "Why let me go now?"

For the longest of moment, it seemed that Itachi had no intention of answering her.

Then he spoke, his answer deceptively simple.

"You are no longer safe in Akatsuki, so I made the decision to remove you."

The kunoichi blanched slightly as her suspicions were now written in truth.

"What do you mean?"

He leveled a long stare at her, fully aware that she knew just what he meant.

Sakura did not look away from the hard look that he was giving her. She had known from the very beginning that something like this would have happened.

"You should never have brought me here."

For that he had no response, but Sakura was not feeling any satisfaction whatsoever for the unspoken 'I told you so' that she had just delivered to him. No, something else was on her mind, and in a quiet voice she asked him.

"What did you do to have Pein agree to let me go?"

"You were bleeding from your womb and needed medical attention."

She gasped in affront.

"I'm not bleeding from my womb!"

"I know."

She stared at him with disbelief.

"You lied?"

He looked at her steadily.

Sakura was starting to feel confused.

_He had lied…for her? _

"And Pein agreed to it?" Sakura was dubious. Something just didn't smell right, and judging from the handful of times that she had interacted with the cold-blooded, highly analytical leader of Akatsuki it was highly doubtful that he would let go of an advantage unless there was something to gain from it.

The kunoichi frowned.

"What did you promise him?" Her questioned was abrupt.

"I promised him nothing."

Technically, that was the truth.

Sakura bit her lips in distress, clearly unconvinced.

"You are lying again."

He looked at her with inscrutable eyes, and Sakura began to grow frustrated.

She looked at him with worry evident in her very being, and then he spoke.

"It doesn't matter. You will not be harmed, and that's all you need to know."

Sakura stiffened at his calm words. Then her eyes flared with suppressed agitation.

"That's all I need to know?" She echoed dangerously. She was worried for him, damn it!

He must have realized judging from the look on her face, and something within his cold gaze stirred, almost like a ripple of emotion, gone as quickly as it had appeared.

Encouraged, Sakura pushed for the truth.

"Tell me. _Please_."

He told her.

"I promised them our children."

* * *

For a long time Sakura could not speak.

"_What_?"

He had promised them their _children_.

"…children?"

Sakura did not understand the need for plural, but the inconsequential matter was abruptly shoved to the back of her mind. She became rapidly agitated. She had known from the beginning that this would happen! She had known!!

"I'm not giving my baby to Akatsuki." She snarled furiously, completely defensive and fiercely protective in an instant, glaring at the Uchiha with all her might, the amount of killing intent that she was generating impressive for one who currently appeared so delicate and fragile.

He looked at her tensed form. She was getting highly worked up and that would not do.

"I have no intention of keeping that promise."

There was no emotion in his admittance, no resigned wryness, no sense of smug cleverness. It was just plain fact, and for a brief moment Sakura could only stare at him in complete disbelief.

Then she calmed down and started to think of the ramifications of what he had done.

He had deceived the Akatsuki in order to get her away.

_He was betraying the organization. _

The kunoichi froze at her realization.

It did not bring her as much joy as she had once thought it would. For obvious reasons, the notion that he was blatantly going against his organization made her feel completely uncomfortable—and worried. Akatsuki consists of a very dangerous group of highly trained, lethal shinobi, and the pink-haired female dreaded to think of what might happen when they learned of what Itachi had premeditated.

But what she was unaware of, however, was that they would never know.

"You…"

"You will be highly guarded when you return to Konoha." He interrupted her calmly. "Protect our children at all costs."

She was completely confused.

"Children? Why do you keep saying that? I'm only carrying one-"

The quiet look in his eyes told her that she was wrong. She paused, her eyes wide.

This was _not_ possible!

Her hands flew to her heavily rounded middle. Admittedly she was a little bigger than normal women with singular pregnancy but she was definitely too small to be carrying more than one within her! She had also checked on her baby's development frequently; it was impossible to have missed the existence of a second living being.

Under his watchful gaze, her hands flared green with healing chakra as she delved immediately into herself. Closing her eyes and concentrating hard, Sakura blocked out all secondary sounds including her own heartbeat as she investigated the matter.

True enough, she could only detect one set of heartbeat other than her own, delicate and pulsating so quickly that Sakura was immediately reassured. There was no other response within her and Sakura should not have doubted her own abilities. The little one within her was just extremely hyperactive, and it was definitely not because it had a sibling within her sharing in its mischief.

The kunoichi was about to withdraw the chakra from herself when he placed his hand on her as well. Her eyes flew open.

"Itachi-"

He did not respond to her, but instead chose to focus on gathering his own chakra and probing gently into her womb. She stilled at his subtle intrusion but otherwise made no effort to reject him. His hand was so much larger than her own, and as he started to rove his palm over her extended belly, the heat that he was giving out even through the thin layers of her clothing made her shiver with secret delight.

He didn't seem to notice of course, much to her relief.

His hand smoothed towards the bottom left side of her rounded stomach, and then he stilled there, crimson eyes revealing quiet contemplation. Sakura could still feel his energy from within her, before he slowly withdrew the chakra back into himself.

Then he reached over and took her hand, his long, elegant fingers guiding her over the spot that he had just vacated.

Here.

Bemused by his utter gentleness, she nonetheless obediently injected soothing, warm chakra lightly into her womb.

Almost immediately, her eyes widened with pure shock.

There were two distinct sets of heartbeats when there had only been one before.

The second rhythm was just like the first, healthy and vibrant but followed extremely closely behind that of its sibling. At the earlier position in which she had examined herself it would have been impossible to differentiate between the heartbeats but here…

Here, it was now evident that she was carrying twins.

Her delicate features lit up with wonder, and more than a little bit of excitement.

She looked at her lover, her beautiful heart-shaped face filled with so much joy that he could not help but be captivated by her once again.

"I'm expecting twins."

Twins.

She sounded completely dazed.

In response, he merely stroked her belly lightly.

She began to cry.

Happy tears, of course, and instinctively she turned to him as she babbled incoherently, looking nothing like the powerful, highly accomplished kunoichi that she truly was.

He didn't seem to mind her momentarily lapse in character though, and allowed her to wet his shirt with her tears.

It was at least a good fifteen minutes before she was done, and surprisingly she was content to remain close by his side, his comforting scent of rainwater lulling her to calmness.

This new revelation has changed everything, and there was even more at stake now.

Their children.

Just thinking of it made the pink-haired female teary-eyed all over again, and it was all she could do to compose herself.

"I want you to tell me everything."

Her voice was quietly solemn, and both knew immediately that there would be no turning back after this.

A part of him greatly resented the decision that he had made. Akatsuki was one of the most ambitious organizations that he had ever come across, and it was a pity that after this his alliance with it would never be the same again.

But his own ambitions were shifting; his goals altered to no longer fit that of Akatsuki's.

This was inevitable.

Nearly a lifetime ago, Uchiha Itachi could not understand why his father had refused to lift his weapon against his own son, even when it was very apparent that he would pay with his life if he didn't do so. The esteemed leader of the great Uchiha clan would rather die rather than to engage his prodigious offspring in a duel to the death, and in the end he had been brutally cut down by the very pride of his clan: the very son whom he was so fiercely proud of.

Uchiha Fugaku had offered no resistance to his son's decisively killing blow, choosing to die alongside his badly wounded wife, grief and disappointment evident in his face as he stared into the blank bladed Sharingan of his eldest child.

Itachi hadn't cared then, but his photographic memory had refused to forget his father's dying words.

"_Forgive me, Itachi. I have failed as a father._"

Itachi could not understand why then.

But he understood now.

Powerful as he was, Madara's influence was like the deadliest of poison, spreading and infecting everything that he came across, warping and distorting truth and reality, turning everything into a desperate struggle for supremacy.

But it was Itachi who had _chosen_ to follow his teacher's teachings dutifully, because there was nothing more seductive than power itself, and whoever could tame it would be gifted the greatest power of all: Immortality.

After all, Madara was the living, breathing testament to his own teachings, having lived for over a century and a half.

However, there was one serious drawback to the way he had paved his path to power.

To become a god, one must abandon all earthly attachments.

To become an undying entity, one must shed away all ties of humanity.

To become immortal, Madara was no longer human.

_A twisted, insane parody of a living being. _

_A broken, corrupted mind filled with delusions of grandeur. _

And Itachi had almost succeeded as well, on all counts.

If not for the untimely arrival of Sakura's presence, if not for this unexpected circumstance that had been abruptly shoved into their lives…

The long, raven-haired male would have been content to remain on this path of power and self-destruction that fate and his teacher had destined for him to walk. He wouldn't have minded following Madara's orders for as long as he had and more, it wouldn't have mattered to him even if he had been molded into an exact likeness of his kin.

But then the oldest Uchiha had shown interest in something that was not his to have.

The thought of the immortal laying his hands on his own offspring, tainting and warping the innocence of his children like Madara had once done with himself made Itachi experience an entirely foreign emotion that was completely unpleasant and blood chilling.

Revulsion. Revolt. Dread.

And with that feeling of cold trepidation came something completely unexpected:

The need to protect what was naturally his—the urge and instinct so overwhelming that it immediately overrode all sense of self preservation and defense. The once unquenchable thirst for power was suddenly secondary, and the never-ending desire to pit himself again and again against immensely strong adversaries to prove his own capabilities was now put aside for one singular purpose.

To ensure that Madara would never be able to extend his influence over his very own flesh and blood.

And so now, everything has changed.

And so now, Itachi understood why his father would rather die than to fight him to the death those many years ago.

The Uchiha clan was cursed.

Cursed by their own materialistic greed for power, blinded to everything else but the need to find more glory, to surpass the strongest, to win the unconquerable, to possess the unattainable.

The clan was so busy jockeying for higher standing that it had been laughably simple to come up from behind and annihilate them all in one fell swoop, all within the span of a single night.

It was true that Uchiha Fugaku had succeeded in bringing honor to his clan with the birth of his powerful son, but he had failed spectacularly as a parent, and he had paid the price for it.

If unaltered by the hand of fate, history would have repeated itself all over again. His offspring would be dutifully handed over to Madara, trained and brought up to be exact copies of himself. Cold blooded. Merciless. _Power hungry_. And if they survived the brutal trainings like he had, if they had the potential to achieve the Mangekyo…

Itachi's blood froze over at the thought of what they would have to do next.

Unlike Fugaku, Itachi would not hesitate to defend himself, even if it was against his own flesh and blood. But Sakura…

Sakura may be nothing like Mikoto, but her powerful maternal instincts would render her completely helpless against the mercies of her own offspring and—

He had no doubt whatsoever that she would willingly _kill_ him if he so much as attacked their children with the intent to kill.

That is, if she was still alive.

It would have been an endless cycle of tragedy that the Uchiha clan would never break out of, as long as they were under Madara's control—

But it would end here today.

Itachi would learn from the mistakes of his sire.

He would not wait to make the same errors as Fugaku once had, and be made to suffer the deadly consequences.

He made his choice.

And so the raven-haired male began to speak, relating for the first time ever to someone who was non-Uchiha by birth the sordid history of his once great clan.

"The Uchiha clan was created more than six generations ago, founded by Uchiha Madara and his brother…"

* * *

It was nearly two hours later when Itachi finally completed his toneless recital of the past.

It was all Sakura could do to remain silent throughout his entire recount, but she managed—barely. The truth of the matter was so unbelievable that the pink-haired female had some trouble relating to all of it.

Tobi was Uchiha Madara.

Uchiha Madara was an immortal.

Uchiha Madara was Itachi's teacher, as well as the real leader of Akatsuki.

He was the person who had orchestrated the Uchiha Massacre. Itachi had been his tool, and Sasuke was just collateral damage.

Uchiha Madara had been the one to send the Kyuubi rampaging down upon Konoha twenty two years ago.

He was the reason why Naruto became an orphan, why her dear blonde friend had to spend the early years of his life hated and despised by the villagers of Konoha just because of the notorious tailed demon sealed within his navel.

And to think that all these needless misery had happened just so that a sick and twisted desire for revenge and destruction could be fulfilled by a being that wasn't even supposed to live for so long.

She had been completely deceived by the harmless, affable Tobi, precocious and often the butt of jokes within the Akatsuki. She had even trusted him enough to let him near her precious babies, interact with them with that vile chakra of his…

Sakura had no idea that it was possible to feel this much hatred towards a person. The crackling killing intent that she was generating just thinking of Tobi's seemingly innocent, masked features was completely startling even to herself.

But her fury was justifiable, after all.

It was hiding her helpless worry, allowing her another outlet to channel her fear regarding her situation.

The secret of the Mangekyo. The secret to immortality.

Madara wanted her children to experiment with, and it made Sakura sick to even imagine the type of torment he would be willing to put her offspring through, and then ultimately set them against each other in a twisted battle for survival, watching with malicious glee as his own descendents fought viciously against each other for a chance at immortality that bore such a heavy price.

Your very soul.

Emerald eyes hardened with fierce anger.

A part of her wanted to be furious with Itachi for the choices that he had made. He had known first hand the type of injustices that Madara was capable of and yet he had done nothing about it. Sakura really wanted to demand to know if he had any conscience in him at all; to be able to not only stand by and watch such atrocities happen but even participate in some of the processes as well.

The kunoichi deflated before she could even open her mouth though.

Itachi was no hero. She had known that from the very beginning. He was not idealistic, but cynical. He was not a romantic filled with useless dreams of valor and honor, but a brutally practical man who only sought to survive in this lethal world that they lived in. The lone Uchiha only did whatever that pleased him and, even better still, would gain him an advantage or leverage against whatever he was dealing with at the moment. He seldom, if ever, went out of his way to do anything that may count as remotely compassionate, and she was very sure that in any event that would force him to choose between his own life as well as that of any other, he would have destroyed the latter without even blinking an eye.

But now he was risking it all in order to protect their children from harm.

Sakura found her sharp retorts dying in her throat. The pink-haired female swallowed hard instead.

This was such a big mess, and she knew immediately that if she returned to Konoha sharing the intel she had now would definitely help tremendously in the upcoming war against Akatsuki—as well as saving Naruto's life.

But what about Itachi?

If she told shishou, there was no doubt that he would be implicated in the end. The result of the battle ahead would whiplash upon him, especially since she was well aware that he had absolutely no intention of leaving the Akatsuki.

And she knew without even contemplating that particular option that asking Itachi to return to Konoha would be beyond ridiculous. With the tentative exception of herself, the tall raven-haired Uchiha no longer had any ties to the Leaf, save for a hateful younger brother who would stop at nothing to kill him as well as an immediate trial and execution for the savage crimes that he had committed against his country and family.

Sakura would never want Itachi anywhere near Konoha if she could help it, but she definitely needed to tell Tsunade about what she had learnt.

This was really such a mess, and adding to it was the plot against her babies and herself…

Sakura shuddered inwardly, and then narrowed her eyes with savage determination, willing herself to be strong.

She was a kunoichi, damn it, and even better still she was a kunoichi of Konoha. She would protect all her precious people even if it killed her to do so.

"Madara will lay his hands on my babies only over my dead body." The heavily pregnant female hissed agitatedly, looking completely like a riled up Mama Bear, ready to defend her unborn cubs from all the evils of the world at any given instant.

Her lover stared at her for a long time, crimson eyes unfathomable as he observed her almost clinically.

She stared back into his impersonal gaze. There was something odd in the way he was looking at her, and the strange light in his eyes made alarm bells go off in her head immediately.

"You are willing to do anything to keep Madara away from our children."

It wasn't a question.

Sakura nodded curtly.

"Yes."

"Very well."

Before she could ask what he meant his eyes turned cold.

She froze.

"_Then you will have to die."_

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Ah, I think I have finally put some of your concerns at rest—and then promptly given you guys other things to worry about, but let's not talk about that now, shall we?

Itachi would protect Sakura and their offspring, probably at the cost of a terrible price but it would be done. Madara would not get to lay his hands on the children, but things are going to get a little hairy very soon. So hang tight!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for Sakura not having detected the presence of another fetus within her womb until now, well, first of all, she hadn't expected the possibility of twins. I'm not sure if it's true in canon-verse, but in this fic twin birthing is not prevalent in both of Sakura and Itachi's respective family histories, so it was a completely accidental conception.

Secondly, I believe that I had mentioned more than once before that Sakura looked too small to be carrying twins within her, and so it's unlikely that she would even suspect.

Lastly and most importantly, it _is_ possible for a pregnant mother to not know that she has twins until after the birthing process. Not even an ultrasound scan could reveal the second fetus if it chooses to hide behind its sibling, and their heart rates can appear synchronized and undistinguishable at different occasions and from different places.

So my conclusion is that excellent medic-nin or not, it is entirely possible for Sakura to overlook the fact that she's pregnant with twins.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for Madara, well, I have always had this theory that immortality is not as simple as it seems. There is no free lunch in this world after all, and Madara may just be a few French fries short of a happy meal, if you know what I mean. I have a very long rant regarding this particular topic but I won't bore you with it here. For those who are interested, please do head over to my LJ account instead. The link is over at my profile.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6926

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 25/04/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 8

* * *

They were finally on the move and Naruto could not be anymore relieved.

The blonde Jinchuuriki had not been at all pleased with what he had deemed as 'all the unnecessary delays' that had prevented him from going to Sakura's rescue immediately and he made sure that everyone around him knew what he thought at all times. By the time they were nearing the borders of Fire Country, the three additional teams of Jounin and ANBU who had been unfortunate enough to be chosen for the retrieval mission were no longer amused by Naruto's antics.

Poor Kakashi had to promise to shut that 'loud blonde brat' up before someone did it for him, never mind that said loud blonde brat was now a powerful ANBU member as well as the number one candidate for the position of Rokudaime Hokage.

_So troublesome_, Shikamaru had sighed in that usual way of his, but in the end it was the indolent Nara who had talked some sense into that thick skull of Uzumaki's.

They had already wasted enough time planning out the intricate details for the covert mission to extract Sakura, hopefully without having to engage any of the Akatsuki members in the process, and in addition to that also had to spend an even longer waiting time for the broody Uchiha Avenger to leave with his ANBU team for an extended mission off in Kumo. Knowing Sasuke like they all did, the only Uchiha still allied to Konoha was well known for losing all common sense and sense of self preservation (as well as preservation of others) when it came to the subject of his hated elder brother. Not that anyone could blame him for his rage, but it was equally obvious that Sasuke must not know of this mission's existence.

The spiky-haired Uchiha would have blown his top and hotheadedly demanded to be allowed to lead this mission, and then in the midst of the assignment would lose his cool and then proceed to abandon the mission in an attempt to search out Uchiha Itachi, and as a result the covert mission would instantly become a failure as all the big guns are whipped out and massive explosions, as well as powerful jutsu bombard and shake the grounds of the Akatsuki base.

Their cover would be blown sky high, and before they could even blink Akatsuki members would be crawling all over the place like the completely destructive and lethal cockroaches that they all are.

Hardly a secretive mission anymore if things really did degenerate into such a chaotic situation.

As exaggerated as the abovementioned scenario may seem, it was definitely not impossible and the Hokage had no intention of risking it. Adding to the fact that Uchiha Sasuke had no idea whatsoever that his female teammate was carrying the offspring of his brother, there was just no telling how he would react when he found out. The Uchiha clan was famous for producing three basic kinds of personalities after all; those who were truly unemotional (i.e. Uchiha Itachi), those who appeared to be born with a perpetual short fuse (i.e. Uchiha Obito) and those who seemed to be unemotional but when all else fails would throw a tantrum of unimaginable proportions and could hold grudges like no tomorrow (i.e. Uchiha Sasuke, and some even say Uchiha Madara AKA the Granddaddy of all Uchiha, who never quite lived it down when he had his behind soundly kicked by the Shodaime).

Understandably, Tsunade had no intention whatsoever of involving Sasuke. She was starting to learn, like all the Hokage before her, that although the Uchiha clan had top pedigree and impeccable bloodline, they were better employed for occasions that would show them off as the fearsome might of Konoha, further stoking their fragile ego and temperamental confidence. Chuunin exams, shinobi exhibitions as well as high profile missions would be more suited for the typical flashy Uchiha; anything else that required stealth and low profile covertness would be a gigantic no-no.

Furthermore, assignments that could soundly defeat an Uchiha are highly discouraged to be handed over to the superior Sharingan wielders. They do tend to wallow in their loss and, if all else fails, would be completely unpleasant to work with for the next year or so. And since Tsunade had no intention of chasing after a runaway Sasuke again if he and his brother did engage in a fight and Itachi won, the troublesome spiky-haired Uchiha was promptly shipped off to Kumo for an extended diplomatic mission helping to secure the political relations between Fire and Cloud.

It was something that any Uchiha worth his salt would be able to easily accomplish, strutting around the place like they owned it and looking superiorly smug.

And if all else fails, well, Konoha had never been exceptionally close to Kumo in the first place anyway.

And so the problem that was Sasuke was successfully evaded, and although it had been rather difficult for Naruto to keep from telling his Uchiha teammate, he had managed to keep his mouth shut all the same. As much as the blonde was convinced that Sasuke's temper towards Sakura-chan had cooled down a lot and that he would definitely have consented to help rescue her in the end, he was even more certain that teme would definitely blow up if he knew the true story behind what had happened between their dear pink-haired teammate and his hated brother.

And so Naruto forced himself to keep quiet about it. As much as he yearned for Team Seven to be together like it had used to before, even he was not dense enough to try to pretend that it would ever happen again. Things have changed—and none of them would ever be the same again.

Now, he and Kakashi as well as the rest of Konoha's ANBU and Jounin were racing madly against the clock—Sakura's biological clock—in a desperate effort to retrieve her before she gave birth. Beside the obvious factor of Sakura's safe return, Tsunade had also specified another important reason for retrieving their pink-haired kunoichi.

"_The Uchiha bloodline belongs solely to Konoha. We must keep it safe within Leaf at all costs. Akatsuki has already stolen away one Uchiha—it cannot be allowed to corrupt yet another child of Konoha, especially since both of his parents rightly belonged to us in the first place." _

Bottom line: By the Godaime Hokage's order, Sakura _must_ be brought back to Konoha. It was an S-class mission, and failure was unacceptable.

Naruto was in full agreement with baa-chan's command. Sakura belonged with them.

And he would make sure that she returned home safely.

He would protect his precious people.

And after that would he finally get to apologize to her for being such a lousy honorary brother _and_ _uncle_.

* * *

When Naruto mentioned that he wanted to apologize for being such a lousy uncle, he never expected to actually be one quite that soon.

One day later, just a little into the outskirts of Ame, in a small civilian village, Naruto was faced with the largest challenge he had ever faced in his entire life.

Sakura.

Found.

Heavily pregnant.

In labor.

He fainted with terror.

* * *

"_They are coming for you."_

_Her eyes widened slightly, but otherwise there was no other reaction from her. _

_He handed her the one thing that she had been so proud of since becoming a Genin. _

_Her hitai-ite. _

_The ugly scratch that she had scrawled over that beloved Leaf symbol made her wince inwardly every time she looked at it, and this time was no different. _

"_Get ready."_

_She nodded. _

* * *

Naruto had been absolutely gob smacked when he first laid eyes on Sakura.

His Sakura-chan had changed drastically.

Of course he had mentally prepared himself for the changes that pregnancy would have wrought on her body. It had been hard enough to imagine Sakura-chan pregnant without feeling extreme killing intent towards the Uchiha bastard who had dared to touch his heart's sister that way, but still, everything had seemed so surreal then.

Until now.

She was literally as big as a house—

But it was her glowing appearance that clearly stunned him. He had never thought that a pregnant female could look as beautiful as Sakura-chan did at the moment she appeared in view of the entire Konoha team, a serene look on her face and such intense joy shining in her large emerald eyes as she was finally reunited with her precious people again.

Naruto had been stunned stupid by it, and he hadn't been the only one. She had looked like some gorgeous goddess mother, unbelievably graceful even with the added bulk of pregnancy weighing her down.

He had rushed to her side the very moment he recovered from his shock, and even though it had occurred to him that she might not be who she claimed to be, he just could not care at the moment.

Then, with tears running down her face, she had cuffed him lightly on the side of the head for daring to come to Ame, especially when it was so dangerous for him, and when he was tossed back fifty feet from her one casual flick everyone in the clearing relaxed.

Truly, only the Hokage and her student could wield such insane strength with such ease.

Naruto had so many questions for her, and he was definitely not the only one. Kakashi and Shikamaru approached the pair in a more cautious manner compared to the blonde Jinchuuriki.

Why was she here? What happened to the Akatsuki? Did they ill-treat her? How did she manage to escape? Why was she so big?

Did she really care for Uchiha Itachi?

But before he could even ask, fate intervened and the most horrifying event happened.

Already severely stressed by all the abrupt events that had occurred to her in the past few days, it should be no surprise when the look on her face changed from one of mild agitation to a pained grimace, and then the pained grimace changed immediately to a look of dawning panic as the pink-haired female recognized abruptly the most obvious symptoms of labor.

What? What is going on? Are you hurt?

Naruto had been just as panicked as his teammate.

Kakashi seem to realize what was going on first, if his quiet swearing was of any indication. Shikamaru appeared completely stunned by the result of his own deductions and Naruto had been completely oblivious, as per usual.

"…my water broke." Her face was pale with growing fright. She was supposed to have her babies back in the safety of Konoha!! Not here!

They were coming too early!!

But her babies could no longer wait.

The pain from the contractions began to sweep mercilessly over Sakura's acute senses, and it was all she could do to remain upright, completely unprepared for the vicious onslaught.

What are you talking about? What does that mean?

Naruto was flittering crazily around the slightly hunched form of the pink-haired female, completely anxious by what was going on to her.

She looked at her greatly alarmed teammate, the overwhelming worry that she was feeling reflected in his own blue eyes. Despite her growing agony and sorely lacking circumstance, Sakura could not help but feel a little better that she was now around the people who cared about her.

She gave her heart's brother a shaky smile.

"I'm going into labor."

And so her ordeal of childbirth began, in the midst of a small clearing in the hostile territory of Ame, surrounded by the teams of Jounin and ANBU as well as her teammates, none of whom had any experience in childbirth and could offer no forthcoming help anytime soon.

Naruto did the one thing that Sakura herself longed to do but could not.

He swooned like a pregnant woman.

* * *

It was time.

He didn't say the words, but when he stopped suddenly before a small trail, she knew.

The horse carriage had already been dismissed, and they had been walking for almost forty five minutes already.

Noiselessly, he stepped to the side, revealing the heavily forested deer track.

"You are in their direct path of travel. You will intercept them if you continue down this trail."

She nodded, and then raised her eyes to look at him.

His eyes were emotionless, the ruby gaze blank.

It was as if they were complete strangers again, and she did not like that feeling at all.

An eerie sense of foreboding overwhelmed her—that this may very well be the last time she would see him again, that their future was so uncertain and she was going to be left alone to raise their children, that she was so scared but at the same time willing to do whatever it took to protect their offspring. There was such a feeling of urgency pounding away in her heart, terror nipping at her instincts, hopelessness flooding her entire being.

One last time. Just one last time.

It didn't matter that she was clearly the weak one in their clandestine relationship, the one who was starved for affection, the one who needed his touch and no one else's. She knew that he would never come to her voluntarily, but that was alright. He would never deny her whenever she went to him, and that was more than enough for her. She stepped towards him, and put her hands on his broad shoulders. He stood completely still. She tiptoed carefully, and raised her face towards his. His proud, patrician profile was as dispassionate as ever as he observed her actions, and she took the time to memorize his every feature. His beautiful crimson eyes, the high arch of his cheekbones, the firm, unsmiling lips.

She leaned close and pressed her lips softly against the curve of his jaw, and he closed his eyes, his hands remaining firmly by his sides.

Her breath hitched with quiet despair, but she couldn't stop. Instead, her fingers trailed upwards past his neck, lovingly tracing invisible lines on his face, running gently through his silky, raven hair.

In this kind of possibly hostile environment, he would never dare openly relax against her touch. A brief shudder ran through his lean frame, and that was it. She palmed the side of his face with a delicate hand, and her eyes softened completely as she looked at him.

"Don't you dare die," she whispered against his ear, her voice fierce and raw.

She drew back slightly and looked hard at him. "If you die," her voice cracked painfully at that mere notion. Sakura forced herself to recover. "I will never forgive you."

Crimson eyes opened slowly, and the Uchiha stared stoically back at the pregnant kunoichi. He did not seem at all affected by her threat, and it was completely unfair that she had to be the only one worrying in their relationship.

Her eyes narrowed.

"But don't worry. Our children will never know what a weak, useless coward their father is." She paused mid-taunt, and then daringly upped the ante. "You are not the only Uchiha around."

Her implications were unmistakable.

She was threatening to tell their children that they were fathered by Sasuke instead.

This time, there was a reaction.

The previously blanked, bladed Sharingan honed immediately into a deadly crimson glare.

The few short months spent with him while she waited out her pregnancy had revealed to her that he was a completely possessive bastard when it came to the two babies nestled safely within her—and she had no qualm whatsoever using that against him.

After all, who would have thought that Uchiha Itachi would be such a protective parent?

Before she could even expect his reaction, his hands flew up to dig almost painfully into her arms, dragging her up towards him and pressing her rounded form firmly against his own lean musculature. In a rare show of agitation, he hissed at her in a low, almost inaudible tone.

"_Only I will get to father all of your children._"

Sakura was momentarily shell shocked by the intensity of his reply. She had meant to needle a response out of him of course, but the fact that he had reacted so violently to a threat as mere as this stunned her.

And his words…

It was as much as an admission from him.

She could only stare at him with large eyes.

By now, he had calmed down again. Ruby orbs were no longer cold or furious, just oddly watchful, and she knew immediately that he had deliberately chosen to react the way that he just had, and that the words he had spoken had been selected carefully for maximum impact.

He was letting her know in no certain terms that like their offspring he fully considered her as his as well, and that there would be hell to pay if she even dared to think otherwise.

Her eyes darkened.

"Then you had better prove that you are worthy." Her voice shook with emotion, her gaze telling him the words that she could not say.

_Be safe. _

For the longest time, their eyes locked. Then he nodded once, almost imperceptible. Accepting her challenge.

It was all Sakura could do to prevent the tears from leaking out from beneath her eyelids, long pink lashes concealing the glittering shimmer of her sadness.

He had agreed to give her hope, but that was all he could give. She told herself to be content; in a situation like this any empty promises given would be near impossible to keep.

Slowly, she eased back onto her feet, and his hands dropped soundlessly from her. She missed his warmth already. She steeled herself mentally and backed away from him, and then turned away resolutely.

There would be no goodbyes—she would not be able to bear it.

She started to follow the trail as briskly as she could, and he did not stop her.

Her tears flowed uselessly down her face, sliding past her cheeks, dripping off her chin.

She refused to turn back though.

For now, her chapter with him had drawn to an end. Another door was opening, and she had no choice but to walk through it alone.

But if Fate allowed it, maybe their paths would cross again.

One day.

And on that day, maybe she would have changed, would have become strong enough to tell him what she had so badly wanted to say now but just didn't have the courage to.

_I love you. _

* * *

Not even one minute into his unexpected swoon, Naruto was promptly slapped awake by a completely frazzled Shikamaru.

"Tell me that I was only having a dream about Sakura-chan in labor in the middle of nowhere, with no medical aide or baa-chan in the vicinity whatsoever," he blurted out immediately.

Shikamaru could only look at him, and then the pineapple-haired male turned his attention to his right.

A fair distance away sat Sakura. The distressed kunoichi was being accompanied by her sensei. She was breathing hard as she gripped at the hand of the silver-haired Jounin, her face pale and starting to glisten with perspiration.

It was not a dream. _She was in labor_.

It was a bloody nightmare.

Naruto whimpered.

This was not supposed to happen! They were supposed to snatch Sakura away, and maybe even engage in a good, long fight with those sneaky Akatsuki to show them who's boss and then hoof it back to Konoha before anyone was the wiser. Baa-chan would be waiting for them at the entrance of the village of course, there would be one big happy reunion, and then Sakura-chan would have her baby under the Hokage's expert guidance. Mother and child would do extremely well, and then after that, Naruto would get to offer Sakura his apology and then vow to protect her and her new child no matter what.

It was obvious to Naruto now that his perfect plan was going straight to hell.

"Naruto!" It was Kakashi, his mask muffled voice urgent. The blonde jolted skittishly.

Shikamaru scowled.

That stupid Uzumaki. So overdramatic. Even Sakura was being a lot calmer about this than the clearly panicking Jinchuuriki.

"If you faint again, I will leave you here," the Nara warned.

Naruto ignored Shikamaru's threat. He rushed off to Sakura's side immediately.

"Sakura-chan!" He was instantly on the other side of the heaving female, totally concerned and blithely missing what his sensei was saying at the moment. "Are you alright?!"

It was a completely stupid question, of course. Anyone with eyes could clearly see that Sakura was not alright at all.

"What can I do to help? What do you need, Sakura-chan? What should I do?"

Naruto was dangerously close to hyperventilating.

"Naruto!" It was Kakashi again, and he was completely unamused by his subordinate. But at least he had been heard this time. Finally. The blonde turned his attention to the silver-haired Jounin.

Kakashi's command was brusque and concise.

"Summon Gamabunta. We are returning to Konoha immediately." Then to the rest of the Jounin and ANBU standing on the alert, "Be ready to move out."

Naruto nodded shakily, and immediately everyone made way for the summoning. Kakashi picked up the laboring Sakura and ran a fair distance away, to the farthest edge of the clearing. The teams of shinobi followed their mission leader, with Shikamaru bringing up the rear.

Once everyone was out of range, Naruto gathered a large amount of chakra, bit his thumb and rapidly flashed through the required hand seals.

Boar. Dog. Tiger. Monkey. Sheep.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu!!_"

He slammed his palm on to the ground.

Immediately, there was a gigantic explosion of chakra. The clearing filled with dense smoke—as well as the unmistakable presence of the infamous Toad King in all his grumpy glory.

"_Where the hell am I?!_"

The loud, disgruntled bellow could be heard from miles away.

Kakashi winced inwardly.

So much for being covert. They had to get out of here ASAP.

"Oi, Gamabunta!" Naruto raced up the giant toad's back, hopping furiously until he got to the top of Gamabunta's gigantic head. "I need your help to transport Sakura-chan back to Konoha!"

To say that the giant Toad King was not pleased by Naruto's request would be the understatement of the century.

Gamabunta whipped out his tongue and tried to capture the stupid blonde brat currently jumping up and down on his head and making completely ridiculous demands. Naruto evaded the amphibian's large and powerful appendage nimbly, and at last the toad roared out in frustration.

"You idiot! The great Gamabunta-sama is no pack horse! How dare you treat me like you would a common donkey, you disrespectful brat!!"

Naruto being Naruto, was completely unafraid of the orange toad's fiery temper.

"I wouldn't call upon you if I had a choice!!" Said disrespectful brat bellowed back just as loudly. "But Sakura-chan needs help!! She is in labor and we need to bring her to baa-chan immediately!!"

Before the Toad King could react to Naruto's reply, the blonde Jinchuuriki did something completely unexpected.

He begged.

"Please, Gamabunta," Naruto pleaded. "Sakura-chan really needs help and none of us here knows anything about childbirth. She may be in danger, and we want to bring her back to Konoha as quickly as possible. Please help."

It was almost eloquent, and for that the monolithic frog paused and considered the desperate request of the young man whom he had long ago already regarded like a son. He puffed furiously away at his long pipe, thinking hard for a brief moment.

Naruto held his breath, completely aware that there was nothing he could do to convince Gamabunta if he chose to refuse to help.

"…Very well."

The blonde nearly wilted with relief at Gamabunta's grudging agreement.

"Arrigato ne, Gamabunta!" Naruto called out rudely. The giant frog twitched at the blatant lack of respect.

"Just keep in mind that you owe me a big one, brat."

_That and your father had requested for me to help you whenever I can._

Naruto was too happy to take any issue with Gamabunta. The lanky blonde sped down the toad's back to inform the rest about the confirmation of their new mode of travel.

Kakashi was hardly surprised. Those of the Namikaze blood had always had an affinity with the Gama clan. The silver-haired Jounin looked over to Shikamaru, who nodded imperceptibly. They had spent the time Naruto had used negotiating with the great Gamabunta mapping out their next course of action.

The original members of Team Seven would leave with the Toad King. The rest would follow behind, racing back to Konoha and serving as decoys in the event that Akatsuki gave pursuit, which was highly unlikely now that Sakura had admitted to the terrorist organization's intention of returning her to Leaf in the first place.

"We will catch up with you back at Konoha," the Nara confirmed.

Kakashi nodded, and scooping up his pale and heavily perspiring student, started to bound up the towering bulk that was Gamabunta in large, chakra-enhanced leaps. Naruto followed anxiously beside them. Within moments they were situated upon the toad's head, and without much ado Gamabunta set off in Konoha's direction in unbelievably gigantic, earth shaking leaps.

By estimates, they would reach Konoha's gates within two hours.

Hopefully, Sakura would be able to resist the push of childbirth until then.

* * *

At a far distance away, Kisame watched from a high jut of mountain the entire Konoha fiasco as the gigantic, one hundred meters tall, orange toad jumped away from Ame, each of its massive landings shaking the ground so violently that even he could feel it where he was situated.

Kisame arched a brow.

"Was this how they planned to steal the little Leaf away?" The blue-haired Kiri-nin scoffed slightly. "If we didn't choose to let her go they won't even have a snowball's chance in hell at snatching her away from here."

Kisame tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Don't you agree, Itachi?"

The lean raven-haired male standing silently beside his partner gave no reply.

As much as it amused Kisame to downgrade the Konoha nin into nothing more than a walking comedy act, the Uchiha knew better than to think the same. He was very much aware of the abilities of the nin of his old village. Konoha was not known to be the strongest among the five Greats for no reason, and if obligated to be completely serious the Leaf-nin would be a force to be reckoned with.

Unless left with no choice, there was no way the elite group that had been sent to infiltrate Ame would risk their covers like this.

And Itachi had an idea just why they were in such a hurry to return to Konoha.

Sakura.

She was very near the end of her pregnancy, and it was entirely possible that the stress from the past days could very well induce a premature labor.

Crimson eyes froze over completely, and then the stoic Uchiha turned away from the sight of the retreating Konoha nin. He started to walk away.

Almost immediately, Kisame fell into step behind him.

There were still missions to complete after all, quotas to fulfill for the organization.

And Itachi was still as stoic and emotionless, despite being a father soon.

"Damn," the shark man remarked to no one in particular after a very long silence. "I think I miss the little Leaf already."

* * *

Nobody would have believed it, but apparently frogs could fly.

No one would have seen any such thing either, but if they happened to be in Konoha or within the general vicinity of Fire Country that day they would have been in for a very surprising sight.

First of all, the most obvious sign that something was definitely afoot would be the tremendous shaking of the ground. Civilians would sigh and shake their heads, muttering about how those damn ninjas were at it again. Alarmed sentry Leaf-nin would be rushing towards the source of the great disturbance, only to be rewarded with the incredulous sight of the humongous Gamabunta-sama hopping towards Konohagakure no Sato in a great hurry.

"Damn it, Gamabunta!" Those near enough would be able to hear the voice of a familiar blonde Jounin as he screamed at the Toad King. "Can't you go any faster?! Sakura-chan is suffering here!!"

"Shut up, you stupid twerp!" Gamabunta's thunderous reply promptly informed every one in the vicinity that he was not at all pleased with his summoner at the moment. "I'm going as fast as I can! Why don't I sit on your head and see how fast you can go instead?!"

Naruto was completely unperturbed by the giant frog's threat. He was too busy being preoccupied with Sakura's agony.

It had been nearly an hour or so since they had left that clearing in Ame, and she was doing all she could to resist the urge to push with all her might. Her contractions were still rather far apart and her cervix was still not dilated enough to accommodate the actual childbirth and watching Sakura-chan suffering thusly made Naruto want to go off and kill something—namely that Itachi teme who had been the direct cause for all of her pain right now.

The blonde could not help himself; he felt so helpless!! Watching Sakura-chan whimper and bite her lips to prevent from crying out from the contractions made him feel so useless. There was nothing he could do to alleviate her agony, and Naruto would have preferred a death match with an S-class missing nin over watching Sakura-chan suffer on any given day.

To be honest, he hadn't been of much help ever since they had left for Konoha. The blonde had alternated between panicking over Sakura's condition and yelling at the Gama King to hasten his speed, none of which was improving anyone's mood in such a critical situation.

"Naruto." Kakashi, who had quietly remained by Sakura's side the entire while, called out to his impatient and frustrated student at last. The silver-haired Jounin had been surprisingly unruffled about the matter and Sakura had appreciated his firm and unwavering support as he talked to her gently and tried to distract her from thinking too much about her pain.

"Come here and talk to Sakura. We are reaching Konoha soon and I don't want Gamabunta to toss us off him now just because you are purposely irritating him."

"But I'm not-"

"Naruto, please come and sit with me."

It was Sakura who spoke this time, and her voice quavered slightly as she failed somewhat to keep her discomfort from coloring her voice. Naruto heeded her obediently, moving quickly to her side and looking anxiously at her.

"Please bear with it a little longer, Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered worriedly, his bright blue eyes running over her strained features, her sweat dampened hair, the slight grimace on her face. "We are reaching Konoha soon, and baa-chan is not going to let anything happen to you."

Sakura smiled shakily at her upset best friend, slightly relieved that her latest contraction had just passed and that she could speak a little easier now.

"I'm sorry that you had to worry for me, Naruto. I'm such a horrible, selfish person."

Naruto shook his head immediately, taking one of her hands in his.

"Don't be stupid, Sakura-chan," the blonde muttered. He had never been good at expressing emotions, and the look of sadness and harsh self-reproach on the kunoichi's face made Naruto's heart ache like never before. "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't protect you."

In response, the pregnant female quickly shook her head as well, her hair flying wildly behind her. Gamabunta's long leaps took them to extreme heights before slamming them back down to earth again. The extreme method of travel had taken some getting used to, and all three nin had to stick themselves firmly to the Toad King's head with chakra to prevent from being ripped off by the massive force of inertia.

"I betrayed Konoha." She was adamant. "I really meant to betray Konoha, and you still came to get me back."

She sounded completely bewildered.

Naruto disagreed with the kunoichi's self-loathing remarks.

"You were just following your nin-do," the blonde denied immediately. "Following our nin-do; to always protect our precious people no matter what.

"I have to admit that I really don't understand why you chose to defend Sasuke's teme of a brother," Naruto admitted truthfully. However, his eyes shone with so much trust in her that Sakura could not help but feel unworthy. "You must have seen something in him that we had missed, and maybe you will show us just what that is one day."

The pink-haired female could not help herself. Naruto was being so completely understanding that she could not help the small sob from escaping her throat. Immediately, the blonde became alarmed for making her cry.

"Sakura-chan-!!"

"Thank you, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei." Her voice shook with the intensity of her emotions

"And I'm so sorry."

* * *

The circumstances revolving around Sakura's defection from Konoha were completely shrouded in secrecy and virtually unknown to all who had not been part of the failed plan to eliminate Uchiha Itachi once and for all. All nin involved had since been sworn to silence by their own Hokage, and therefore, as far as Konoha was aware Haruno Sakura was only temporarily MIA and removed from the list of active duty.

Even the village council had been kept completely in the dark; if it was known that Sakura was carrying the child of the Uchiha nukenin there would be hell to pay; not to mention that the prominent clans would all be jockeying for the right to raise Sakura's offspring, especially so after they made rock solid accusations that would condemn the pink-haired kunoichi and certify her unfit to look after her own child. It would have been a dire consequence, and if Tsunade knew her apprentice as well as she thought she did, the blonde was fully aware that Sakura would have done anything to protect her baby from the rest of the village.

It was definitely something that should not be allowed to happen; the last thing they wanted to do was to force the kunoichi to run away from Konoha.

Great pains had been taken to plan for Sakura's return. It hadn't been the rescue itself that had been difficult to execute, it was how they were going to have to explain to the elders as well as where to situate her pink-haired student when she returned that required all the careful planning. The paperwork had to be done in advance, carefully altered so as to hide the truth and ensure that it would not be rooted out by the trail of official documents that the village council would definitely demand to see.

It was going to be a constant challenge, to keep the truth away from the sharp eyes of Danzo, and even Koharu and Homura.

Even the true objective of this mission—to extract Sakura from within the deep bowels of Akatsuki—had been covered over by a highly guarded S-class surveillance and intelligence assignment that was on a strict need-to-know basis and was therefore kept virtually secret from the rest of the village.

Therefore, Tsunade could safely say that she was feeling very confident of the mission's success. It seemed that even the forces of nature were helping them; it was already dusk and just half an hour ago the blonde had received a message via Gamakichi that the group would soon return to Konoha with Sakura in tow, and that the heavily pregnant female had been stressed into labor and to please prepare adequately for the situation.

The message itself had not been that eloquently expressed of course. The mouthy son of Gamabunta had repeated Naruto's message word for word, and if everything from the frog's mouth was to be believed, the blonde Jinchuriki appeared to be rather panicked and anxious.

Something was not right with Sakura, that much Tsunade had been able to glean from the gist of the urgent message.

And so now, the Godaime Hokage was waiting edgily by the west gates of Konoha, the sentry nin around her looking cautiously at their busty blonde leader as she paced before the gates, seemingly to be waiting for the arrival of someone—or something.

The mild vibrations shaking the ground became more apparent then, and when a dark orange hulk appeared against the backdrop of the night horizon, the Hokage dismissed the Chuunin around her immediately.

"Leave and return to your posts half an hour from now." Her command was brisk and hard. Mystified, the Chuunin nodded and disappeared in quick flashes of hand seals and swirling leaves.

Once she could no longer sense any human presence in the vicinity, Tsunade turned and focused her attention solely on the large, approaching Gamabunta.

_Sakura, you had better be safe. _

* * *

Sakura was not doing well.

Kakashi was the first to notice.

Her breathing was erratic and her heartbeat had skyrocketed to way above normal conditions and she was very pale. Deathly pale. She had been tolerating her contractions and pain amazingly well for almost two hours already, but the way her eyes were dilated and her body was trembling almost violently told the real story.

To prevent Naruto from becoming even more concerned than ever, the petite kunoichi had swallowed her pain and tried to bear through it almost soundlessly, and that immense willpower of hers was working its toll on her already strained body. The silver-haired Jounin may not know much about childbirth, but he knew at least that it was a completely strenuous process and that the young mother-to-be was going to need every ounce of her energy in order to navigate through her perilous labor successfully.

But things had not been successful so far. An excellent medic-nin she may be, but traveling on Gamabunta was taking its toll on her limited resources and her chakra supply was dwindling rapidly just by maintaining her position on the gigantic Toad King. She had monitored the condition of her womb periodically at the beginning, but Kakashi could not help but notice that the duration between those examinations were stretching longer and longer as she began to have to struggle for the energy to maintain those checks.

And now she was beginning to bleed as well.

For a long moment, Kakashi could only stare expressionlessly at the crimson fluid that was flowing steadily down the length of his student's legs. Sakura had not noticed yet; she had probably mistaken the feel of liquid as the draining from the burst amniotic sac within her womb.

The silver-haired Jounin closed his eye briefly before opening it again.

She was still bleeding…and he knew enough that it wasn't a good sign.

And because she would know how to deal with it better than he ever would, he told her, even though it was apparent to him that such knowledge would not be good for her morale.

He was right.

Already distracted and severely wrung out from the continuous pain, her face drained completely of blood when her sensei quietly informed her of what he had observed.

Bleeding.

She was bleeding from the womb.

The shock was enough to cause her to lose control of her chakra, and Kakashi had to grab onto her to prevent her from getting tossed off from Gamabunta's violent movements. Sakura didn't care. She gathered chakra into her hands and pressed them into her distended belly, searching desperately within herself, praying for the safety of her babies.

And what she found stunned her.

Her body was desperately trying to reject her babies from her system, and while she could still feel the heartbeats of her little ones, she was completely terrified that things would change at any given instance.

"What is going on?"

Naruto's face was deathly pale as well. Sakura-chan was starting to lose so much blood!

"Bear with it for a little while, Sakura." Kakashi's voice was compellingly urgent. "We will reach Konoha in a few minutes time."

"Conserve your chakra." Naruto tried to speak as calmly as he could as he helped Kakashi anchor the laboring female between both their bodies. The rising fear on Sakura's face scared him to death, but he knew that he had to be calm for her now.

Something was wrong.

Sakura did not know it, but tears were leaking from her eyes as she cried from the pain and the panic. She felt so very helpless. This was not supposed to happen! What if she lost her children? What if they could not make it?

"Please…I don't want my babies to die," the pink-haired female whimpered, much to the shock of her team members.

"…Babies?" Naruto muttered blankly, completely stunned.

Sakura-chan was going to have twins?

Kakashi recovered first.

"Hokage-sama has already been informed of our imminent return. She should be waiting for us now, even as I speak." The silver-haired nin assured his student to the best of his capabilities. "You will receive the best medical treatment."

Naruto nodded immediately, wanting nothing better than to alleviate the fear written so clearly on the face of his heart's sister even when he himself was completely terrified by her swiftly weakening condition.

"I promise you Sakura-chan, I will never let you or your babies die!" The blonde was fervent in his vow.

"_So please…don't give up." _

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Well, I apologize for the almost crack-ish start to this chapter. I tend to write crack when I'm sleepy, and yes, I know it's odd, but it does fit the chapter somewhat and so I decided to keep it. It's not really Sasuke-bashing after all; more of a generalized Uchiha-bashing sort of way, and it's all in the name of harmless fun, so relax.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

This chapter is probably going to see the last of Sakura's interaction with Itachi, at least for the next three or four chapters that is. Yes, it would be somewhat Sakura-centric for a brief moment or so, but do not worry, I'm going to try to update twice a week from now on, if my betas allow it and I can tear myself away from playing Pokemon Diamond once in a while.

Argh, I know it's idiotic, but that blasted catchphrase is so very true! Gotta catch 'em all. I'm currently obsessed with filling my pokedex. Jesus, but I'm such a dork.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Anyway, I hope I wrote the scene with Gamabunta and Team Konoha well enough. I don't normally write a lot of action scenes but personally, I rather liked how it turned out in the end. Naruto is such an underappreciated character in the anime, manga _and_ fandom, and I find myself growing really fond of our favorite blonde haired Jinchuuriki whilst writing Curtain Call, not to mention appreciating his close friendship with Sakura and vice versa. Again, hopefully I have managed to portray the special relationship between the two of them, at least, the way I see it, that is.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Lastly, Curtain Call is not going to follow exactly like the manga. The latest chapter (398) has indicated that we are going to be in for a long rollercoaster ride of epic, screw-with-your-brain proportions and whereas CC is epic, Kishimoto still takes the cake, candles, frostings and all. Curtain Call may be epic but no way is it going to be Kishimoto-epic-epic. Ah, yes, there will still be references to the manga as if progresses, but that would be all.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 7308

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 29/04/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 9

* * *

It was as if everything was thrown abruptly into fast forward the moment the three members of Team Seven arrived in Konoha.

Gamabunta disappeared in a cloud of smoke the moment they arrived at the west gate, but not before threatening to eat Naruto if he ever summoned the Toad King for something as undignified as this again.

There was no happy homecoming as Baa-chan went straight to Sakura immediately, and when she accessed the younger female's condition with chakra her face turned grim.

"Give her to me."

Kakashi obediently passed the burden that was his student to her female teacher. Tsunade took over the weight of the pregnant kunoichi easily, revealing to all her immense strength.

"Her fetuses are experiencing distress." Sakura blanched, and Tsunade directed her observations to her pink-haired apprentice. "I suspect that your placenta has partly covered your cervix, which is why you are bleeding so heavily. We are going to the hospital immediately. Kakashi, I want you to put a genjutsu over Sakura. Then you and Naruto follow me in as Jounin guards."

Both nin nodded immediately, understanding the brevity of the situation. This was life and death. Sakura-chan and her babies could very well die, and Naruto would have agreed to being lit on fire if it meant that he could be of any help to his best friend.

Kakashi cast the genjutsu flawlessly over the laboring kunoichi, and if they did not stop on the way to the hospital it would be nigh on impossible for anyone to detect Sakura's condition. The silver-haired nin nodded once when his illusion was firmly in place.

Without a word, the Hokage sprung into action, leaping high up among the trees and moving at an astonishingly rapid pace in the direction of the hospital, Kakashi and Naruto following closely behind.

"Shishou…" Sakura whispered quietly as she watched her teacher work hard to get her to the hospital, the fear in her voice apparent. "I don't want my babies to die…" The pink-haired female was so afraid for her children and felt completely weak and helpless. "Please, shishou, they come first no matter what."

Tsunade refused to look down upon Sakura. The older kunoichi knew exactly just what type of expression would be on her student's face and she simply refused to look at it.

Fear. Determination. Protectiveness. Resignation.

It would be like Dan and Nawaki all over again, and the blonde Hokage refused to let tragedy happen this time. Amber eyes looked resolutely forward.

"Sakura, you little fool," the blonde scoffed, so softly that their conversation was restricted to only the two of them. "Do you have so little faith in your own teacher?"

Sakura would have cried if not for the fact that she knew her teacher despised tears the most. Emerald eyes glimmered. She had never realized how desperately she had missed home until now. Missed her friends. Her family. Her teachers.

"Shishou_…thank you_."

"Conserve your strength," Tsunade remarked briskly instead. "You are going to need it later."

Encouraged, the younger kunoichi nodded and the rest of the journey was made in relative silence as the nin made quick time to the hospital.

Very soon, they arrived at Konoha's medical facility. Bursting through the doors, Tsunade shouted for Shizune to be brought to her and started rattling off a large amount of equipment and medical supplies to be brought into Operating Theatre Three. Kakashi and Naruto did as planned, creating distractions and enforcing the genjutsu as they followed their Hokage all the way to the operating room.

Naruto very much wanted to go in as well, but after a good hard glare from his amber-eyed superior as well as a sharp retort as to how he would only be hindering them if he went in, the dejected and worried young Jounin was left outside with his Team Leader, who by now had a familiar orange book in hand and was reading calmly at a corner, seemingly content to stay there as if nothing critical was going on behind the other side of the door that they were guarding.

Frustrated and feeling completely useless, seeing Kakashi-sensei behaving so nonchalantly and uncaringly sparked the blonde's already severely shortened temper.

"How can you still read that rubbish in this kind of situation?!" The Kyuubi Jinchuriki growled as he strode stiff-legged towards the older nin.

For awhile, it was as if Kakashi had not heard his angry demand, which was impossible because the blonde had been loud enough for anyone walking past that particular hallway to listen in on.

Then, the single black eye slid over to meet agitated blue ones.

"Because we have done all we can. The only thing we can do now is wait, Naruto."

With the exception of his squirrelly excuses for his tardy behaviors, Kakashi seldom, if ever, made no sense, and this time was no different.

Naruto felt his anger evaporate away, leaving nothing but worry and exhaustion behind.

Half an hour later, a frazzled looking Shizune barreled down the hallway and rushed into the operating room without even a second glance at the two nin waiting outside, and Naruto knew that Sakura's ordeal had barely began.

There really was nothing else to do but wait.

Damn it!

* * *

"Sakura, you are not dilating much at all." Tsunade observed with slight worry.

If the contractions had been coming periodically ever since the team had left from Ame, her cervix should have been at least four centimeters dilated already.

They were now in the operating theatre and Sakura had already been situated on the bed

It was going to be a long birthing process, and bluntly the blonde told her student just so. Even though exhausted by her journey Sakura nodded shakily, her eyes shining with determination and impatience, completely prepared to go through anything just to bring her two children safely into the world. The twins whom she had not even laid eyes upon yet. The twins whom she adored with every single beat of her heart.

But before Sakura surrendered herself willingly into the expert hands of her shishou, there was something else that she had to fulfill.

For Naruto.

For her teachers.

For her country.

"Shishou."

There was something in her voice that caught Tsunade's attention. The Hokage looked over to her disciple, narrowing amber eyes at the younger kunoichi.

"What is it?" she asked at last.

"There is something I need to tell you."

* * *

Sakura's child birthing ordeal lasted a horrific nineteen hours.

Together with Tsunade, Shizune was also present to bear witness to the pink-haired kunoichi's fierce struggle to bring life to her children.

To say that Shizune had been shocked when it was revealed that Sakura was the pregnant patient was certainly no understatement. Like the rest of the village, she had been kept completely in the dark regarding Sakura's condition and it was only because Tsunade was certain that she would need additional help birthing Sakura's twins that the Hokage had chosen to reveal the truth to the dark-haired female. No nurses had been allowed into Operating Theatre Three, and so it was up to the two highly accomplished medic-nin to do all the work by themselves.

Thankfully, Shizune had risen to the occasion magnificently. An annoyed glare at Tsunade promised that the younger Jounin was going to make life hell for her Hokage after all this excitement had died down though, but the busty blonde was only too relieved that Shizune would work now and leave her questions for later.

It was not like they had much of a choice, of course. Sakura was still bleeding, though it had already been greatly reduced by Tsunade's expertise, and while the pink-haired kunoichi wasn't in the worst condition that the blonde had ever seen in her entire career as a medic-nin, she wasn't exactly doing all that well either. Her strength and chakra supply was waning, she desperately needed nourishment so as to be strong enough to give birth naturally, and currently Tsunade felt that Sakura was just too stressed and that her contractions just wasn't dilating her cervix—much.

By then, it was almost five hours since they entered the birthing room. Almost seven hours' worth of agony for Sakura. At the rate they were going, her body was going to exhaust itself even before she could begin the actual delivery.

It was the placenta, and it was preventing dilation by partially covering the cervix.

And so Tsunade tried something that had never been done before. It was a completely risky procedure but the odd position of the placenta had to be corrected and Sakura had agreed to it immediately. Anything that might help was good enough for the kunoichi, and she trusted her shishou with her life—and those of her children.

Using healing chakra, the voluptuous blonde managed to dislodge the stuck placenta internally. The contractions received better results after that, and for the next seven hours or so they waited it out, and Sakura dilated about an average of one centimeter per hour.

Shizune was in charge of making sure that Sakura drank the high energy supplements in between violent bouts of contractions, as well as monitoring the babies' heartbeats and vital stats every half an hour. Tsunade checked the kunoichi's cervix periodically and made sure that no more complications would arise.

The pink-haired female was being surprisingly strong throughout the entire process and Tsunade was never prouder of her student than she was right now. Sakura didn't yell or scream or make a fuss as she grew more pained by the birthing; instead, she released her agony in small whimpers and deep pants because to do anything else would be a complete waste of precious energy and she was smart enough to know that.

And at a time when a female would desperately require the support of her mate the most, Sakura had been left all alone to go through the painful birthing process. But yet she was striving to do her best to bring her babies safely into this world, and slowly the truth became rather obvious even to Tsunade, who had been trying her utmost to avoid it the entire while.

Truly, no female on earth would care so selflessly for their offspring unless they were created with the man they loved.

Her student was genuinely in love with Uchiha Itachi.

It was then that Tsunade realized she had no choice but to start considering the completely ridiculous request that Sakura had proposed to her hours ago.

* * *

Seventeen hours into her labor, Sakura finally gave birth to her first child.

It was a boy.

It didn't matter that the little thing was wrinkly and bloodied and looked completely odd with what looked like a clump of black hair slicked to its head, but it was love at first sight when his mother set eyes on him. It was as if all the pain she had suffered to bring her little one to the world was nothing at all, and crouched down on all fours on the bedding to facilitate an easier birthing, Sakura nearly cried when Tsunade swaddled her baby up in a thick blanket and presented him for her to see.

He hadn't made a single sound since he came out from her womb, but already his unfocused eyes were open and darting curiously around and Tsunade was completely convinced that if he could move he would have wandered around and started touching things.

"One more," Tsunade announced firmly as she passed the boy into Shizune's care.

By now, Sakura was completely exhausted. Her breathing was rapid, her body was completely damp with perspiration, her limbs were straining desperately to support her body weight and the kunoichi wanted nothing more than to rest and recuperate. But her job was not done yet. Her baby had another sibling waiting to emerge from the protective cocoon of her womb, and suddenly Sakura could not wait to see her other child as well.

She did not have to wait as long as she had for her firstborn of course, but whereas the first had came out head first, its twin was breeched and therefore it took nearly two hours before Sakura felt the overwhelming relief in her emptied womb.

The relief that she had successfully birthed her children was simply overwhelming, and Sakura would have cried with tears of joy if she had any energy left to do so.

Her labor was finally over, but she was painfully weak and completely wrung out by her ordeal. Faint from loss of blood and exhaustion, the kunoichi allowed herself to be guided to lie back onto the bed and felt her consciousness fading in and out in a most alarming manner.

"Congratulations, Sakura," the pink-haired female vaguely heard the words of her mentor. "It's another boy."

As if on cue, the little thing now cleaned and swaddled in a thick blanket let out a loud, displeased wail, the scratchy cry of her baby sounding like music to Sakura's ears. Unlike his elder brother, this one had no qualms vocally expressing his dislike for this loud and cold environment that he had been abruptly shoved into

Sakura found the energy to smile faintly.

Her job was done.

Now she could rest.

Sakura did not fight the tide of darkness that came after her in a vengeful wave this time, and within moments had fallen deeply unconscious.

_Sakura? _

_Sakura!! _

* * *

Naruto could not believe his ears.

He stared at baa-chan in a state of deep shock, his blue eyes glazed.

Tsunade had finally emerged from the operating theatre after nearly twenty four hours, and Naruto had went simply stir crazy just pacing outside, wondering just how long more Sakura would need to suffer to have her babies.

But never would he have thought that the end would be like this.

Beside him, Kakashi was the first to speak.

"What about the babies?" Even the silver-haired Jounin sounded odd. Off, in a way, but still so neutral that Naruto could not help but resent the man.

_This was not supposed to happen!!  
_

Tsunade's expression was blank, her eyes dull.

She was hurting too, but at the moment Naruto was completely convinced that no one would hurt as badly as he did at the moment. No one would ever hurt like he was hurting now. _This was not supposed to happen, this was not supposed to happen, this was not supposed to happen—_

"Stillborns."

Naruto did not know when he had started to cry, but the tears refused to stop as he stared desperately at baa-chan.

"Please tell me that you are joking!" His voice was hoarse, and it took a little while for him to realize that he was screaming. "You are the best medic-nin in the world, baa-chan!! Tell me that you are joking, tell me that Sakura-chan is alright and just resting in there! _Tell me, damn it!!_"

He wasn't even aware that he had moved, and Kakashi had to pry him off their blonde leader.

"Naruto, control yourself!" the older Jounin barked sharply.

Naruto turned upon his sensei immediately.

"Don't touch me!" He roared like a wounded animal. "_Don't touch me…_"

The tears refused to stop no matter how hard he tried, and in the end he sank onto the floor, rocking himself and keening with grief.

_Sakura-chan._

He had failed to protect his sworn sister. And he had promised her too! He had promised…

_Oh, Sakura-chan…_

"She lost too much blood and energy." Tsunade's voice hitched slightly, the exhaustion in her own voice apparent to all that she had desperately tried everything she could. "I couldn't save her."

Naruto sobbed at Tsunade's defeated admittance.

_This was not happening…_

_This was all the fault of Uchiha Itachi!!_

For a brief moment, grief stricken blue eyes flashed a demonic crimson, and then Naruto growled in a completely animalistic way.

That bastard had defiled Sakura, had used her and made her pregnant and now she was lost forever to him.

In his mind's eye he could see clearly the cold gaze of the Mangekyo Sharingan wielder, the cruelty in his eyes.

Vile, Kyuubi-tainted killing intent started to leak out of the enraged blonde.

_I. Will. Kill. Him!!_

"No!"

Naruto had no idea that he had roared out his intention until he found himself severely restrained by baa-chan and Kakashi-sensei. He was almost gone by then, red chakra encircling his body, elongated teeth gnashing violently as he snapped his head back and forth, thrashing to be released so that he could exact his terrible revenge on the Uchiha bastard.

Then his Hokage cold cocked him mercilessly, and the force was enough to knock him out for the count.

All the overpowering rage and chakra disappeared in an instant, leaving behind nothing but tremendous hurt, grief and defeat.

_Sakura-chan…I'm so sorry…_

* * *

"I will take care of Naruto." Kakashi picked up the unconscious blonde easily and hefted the young man over his shoulder.

Tsunade nodded. Kakashi would make sure that Naruto would not go off by himself to look for Uchiha Itachi. It was no surprise really, that Naruto would react thusly. They had always been close as teammates, Sakura and Naruto, and even closer as sworn siblings.

This was such a mess.

"When are you holding the funeral?" the silver-haired Jounin asked quietly, his eye watchful as he observed his Hokage.

"In three days time." Her answer was immediate.

Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly, and then he nodded.

The tall Jounin waited for the blonde to start to walk away first but she did not budge from her position by the theatre's doors.

"Take Naruto and go," Tsunade urged. "I have…things to do here."

Kakashi nodded and started to move away.

Then he paused.

"…Things like what Shizune is doing inside the room now?" The Copy-nin asked neutrally, not looking his superior in the eye.

Tsunade stiffened.

Kakashi knew that he was not supposed to meddle with his Hokage's decision, but this was his student as well, and he had the right to know.

"She isn't dead, is she?" the Jounin asked almost inaudibly. Tsunade's reaction when asked about Sakura's funeral had been too quick and too unaffected to be properly matched to the grieving appearance that she had portrayed with such great authenticity earlier. A grieving person would have paused in anguish, or even just too dazed by the suddenness of the events to even think clearly, let respond so well and so quickly.

Tsunade closed her eyes. She should have known that Kakashi would have seen through her act.

And maybe…it wouldn't hurt too, to have another person know the truth in this unusual circumstance.

"…no."

Before he could ask why, Tsunade continued to speak.

"I want your silence regarding this matter. No one else must know, not even Naruto." Kakashi looked up, and Tsunade was mildly taken aback by the almost fierce question in his eye. The Kakashi of the past would never ask why, but this Kakashi owed his students too much. Already, two of his students had betrayed and defected from Konoha before. If he wasn't careful the third would follow suit, and he would have let down his own sensei completely.

Minato-sensei would never forgive him if anything happened to his son.

Tsunade sighed. There was no going around this. Kakashi was not budging.

"If you really want to know, bring Naruto back first. Then track down Jiraiya. He should be around here somewhere. There is something that needs to be confirmed."

* * *

The funeral was a quiet affair.

As far as everyone was aware, the kunoichi had been killed in the line of active duty, and it was such a waste too, because she had so much potential to surpass her mentor.

Team Seven was now officially missing two members. Sasuke was still over in Kumo and completely unaware of what was going on back in Konoha, and Naruto was in no mood to inform his male teammate. Just thinking of the name Uchiha made Naruto unbelievably furious, and he did not know what he would do if Sasuke said something along the lines of how she deserved her fate.

No one deserved this!!

Especially not Sakura-chan.

Naruto stood stoically by the side with Kakashi as large numbers of friends, acquaintances and colleagues alike came up to offer their condolences to the puffy-eyed Uzumaki and their sensei. For once Kakashi was solemn, there was no orange book in sight and for that Naruto was thankful. He didn't know what he would have done if Kakashi-sensei had behaved as if nothing was wrong, but knew enough that it wouldn't have been a pretty sight nonetheless.

Sakura-chan was gone.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

And no one would ever know what a beautiful, strong person she was, how she had sacrificed herself to give life to her children—

The children that never survived.

The children that no one would ever know existed.

It was necessity, and baa-chan had decreed that the babies' existence could not be exposed to the public.

So no one would know that Naruto had became an uncle, if only momentarily. So no one would know that Sakura-chan had been a mother, _such a beautiful, serene mama…_

Naruto's thoughts broke off at that point.

There would be no funeral for the babies; they were born in secrecy and they would be cremated in secrecy.

"Naruto, control yourself." Kakashi's voice was grave as he looked at his crying student. "Sakura would not want to see you like this."

It was true.

Naruto could just imagine Sakura's reaction.

"_Baka. You look like that pervert sensei of yours when he's deprived of research material." _

_Then she would cuff him affectionately on the head. _

Naruto's tears flowed faster.

She would never hit him again.

Team Ten wandered by to offer their condolences.

Shikamaru and Chouji were oddly silent, having experienced the same type of grief that Naruto was feeling right now. Asuma-sensei.

Ino was in deep shock.

There wasn't anything much to say.

Nothing would ever be the same again, and Team Ten knew that as much as Team Seven did.

But they would show their support. This was what makes Leaf so strong, after all. Unity.

They came and went.

Team Eight had stopped by briefly awhile ago. They had left soon after as well, of course. They were now the only team among the original Rookie Nine that was completely intact.

Team Gai was out stationed on a month long border duty and was still not aware of what had just happened. Lee would grieve, Naruto was sure, but for now he was strangely glad that the Taijutsu master was not here. He didn't know if he could handle Lee's expressive grief, not when he himself was just as bad.

Naruto swallowed hard but the lump in his throat refused to go away.

This was not fair.

Why did Sakura have to die?

Why?

Anguished blue eyes turned cold and steely.

He wanted revenge.

Naruto had never truly understood Sasuke's overwhelming need to avenge his clan until now.

The feeling of utter loss and helplessness. The feeling of anguish and that nothing would ever be right again. The rage and anger at the failure of oneself...

_And he never got to apologize to her. _

It was very late by now, and the funeral parlor was already devoid of visitors.

Except for Tsunade, and a grim-looking Jiraiya.

The two Sannin had just walked through the door, and both felt immediately Naruto's fierce proclamation for revenge. It was impossible to miss it; the blonde's killing intent was so thick and malicious.

"Naruto." Tsunade's voice commanded attention in a way that told him that she had something important to say.

The blonde raised his head to look at his Hokage, blue eyes bright and _slitted_.

Tsunade was hardly affected by the blatant manifestation of the Kyuubi, and neither were Jiraiya and Kakashi.

"_Tell me what to do_," the golden-haired Jinchuriki hissed, eyes glittering with grief—and rage. It was one of the worst combinations for a shinobi to have, but in this instance it was perfectly alright.

The red clouds were shifting, finally revealing themselves, finally revealing more of their weaknesses.

And Naruto's rage would just help to bring it down once and for all.

* * *

They were on a mission in Suna when Zetsu appeared.

The Kusa nukenin wasted no time informing the Uchiha of what his extensive network of spies had uncovered a few hours ago.

"The kunoichi is dead."

Before Kisame could even wonder what on earth the plant man was talking about, Dark Zetsu took over.

"_Your sons…stillborns_."

The cold apathy was apparent in the hoarse, raspy voice of Zetsu's alter ego and for a long time no one spoke.

The shark man was stunned.

The little Leaf…was dead?

Crimson eyes remained blank as they stared unflinchingly into equally dispassionate golden orbs. If Zetsu was expecting any reaction from the Uchiha he was in for a disappointment.

So, all those whispers about how Madara's favored had gone soft, had become weak because of a woman were false after all. The raven-haired male wasn't even reacting to the news of the deaths of his _offspring_.

But what did he really expect? This was the same man who had promised his sons to their real leader just so that the immortal could experiment with his descendents.

Merciless, the whole lot of Uchihas.

"Pein wants you to know that Madara is very unhappy." Zetsu took over the reins of speech again. "You are expected to meet up with them soon."

An imperceptible nod.

"Is that all?"

His voice was cold and empty. Like always.

Wordlessly, Zetsu dematerialized into the surrounding landscape. His duty here was completed.

Without a moment's pause, Itachi continued to walk towards their next point of rendezvous. Iwa. They had an assignment to fulfill there, and the Uchiha did not intend to be late.

Kisame fell in silently behind his partner.

It was a long time before the tall Kiri-nin spoke.

"Don't you feel upset now that she's gone?" There was more curiosity in his tone than moral outrage.

There was no reply, and just when Kisame thought that Itachi was not planning to answer at all the younger male spoke.

"There is nothing to be upset about."

Even Kisame had been mildly taken aback by the Uchiha's cold, unconcerned tone.

It was true that the little Leaf may be highly accomplished and completely mesmerizing in her pure, giving character, but the blue-haired Kiri-nin had known that she was trouble from the very beginning. She was too headstrong, too loyal, and had too much conscience within her to be properly ruthless. It had been a mistake for Itachi to become so involved with someone like her, but Kisame had told himself that at least their offspring would be something to be reckoned with when he grew up. But lately he had been worried that Itachi was losing his edge because of his involvement with the little pink-haired kunoichi, though it was obvious now that the Uchiha's blatant carelessness was pointing to only one thing.

Kisame came to his own conclusion.

It must have been only a game for Itachi.

The Uchiha had always acted on his own whims, and now was no different. For a brief moment of time, he had been content to play house with the expectant kunoichi, providing for her, caring for her, experimenting with the duties of impending fatherhood. Then, it was as if he had known what was going to happen in the end, and he had cut her loose, purposefully severing all ties with the mother of his children as he sent her back to where she clearly belonged to.

And now, not even a week had passed since he had sent her off and already news had returned that she had failed to survive childbirth, and that the infants had died with her.

There had been no reaction whatsoever from Itachi at all.

* * *

Her babies were the most beautiful beings that she had ever laid eyes upon.

They were so very small though, both only a little over five pounds each and the first thing she had done when Shizune brought her sons to her was to hold them to her chest, inwardly marveling over this sense of complete euphoria and accomplishment that she was feeling right now. Then she looked them over meticulously, counting little toes and little fingers, running careful hands over their tiny bodies and faces anxiously to make sure that they were perfect and healthy in every way.

The stamp of Uchiha was imprinted on her babies in a manner that could not be mistaken. Both of them were exactly similar in appearance of course, with heads of wild pitch-black hair and dark eyes. Sakura was easily learning to differentiate between who was who as well; her firstborn was mostly quiet and watchful around his surroundings though she was rather certain that he can't see very much at the moment, and her second born was a little more vocal than his elder brother, whimpering and cooing softly to himself when his mama picked him up.

Her babies must have recognized her presence; they allowed their mother to fuss over them almost quietly and when she was done she could not help but burst into tears as she looked to Tsunade and a teary Shizune, huskily thanking them so much for all they had done to help her and her babies.

The blonde Hokage, who had helped bring over a thousand babies to this world in the entire span of her career, had never quite felt this sense of pride before as she looked upon the pink-haired kunoichi and her children. She hid it well though, and gruffly commanded her student to feed her hungry offspring already.

Sakura agreed, and one by one her two sons were nursed by their mother and they latched onto her breasts immediately, absorbing her milk with surprising speed and greed, much to the pained surprise of the pink-haired female. Then her eyes softened and she quietly bore through the pins and needles sensation as she breastfed them, the maternal glow around her so apparent that it was completely beautiful to watch.

The quiet, absorbed manner in which Sakura was interacting with her children made Tsunade's heart ache in a completely unexpected way. She had never been a mother before, definitely would never be one now, but that was alright. Already, she had as good as two grandchildren to spoil before her and the Hokage felt strangely moved. She closed her eyes and smiled slightly, in a completely breathtaking manner that would have Jiraiya staring at her like a goon if he was here right now.

"Sakura, your sons are very beautiful."

Tsunade was quietly sincere and the pink-haired female raised her head to look at the older woman from her maternity bed, and then her emerald eyes shone with such happiness.

"Thank you, shishou."

And because the situation was rapidly becoming extremely mushy as evidenced by how Shizune was trying her best to muffle her sniffles and not succeeding very well while she was at it, Tsunade quickly prodded her dark-haired disciple. Shizune stared at her Hokage questioningly with red-rimmed eyes.

"Now that Sakura has given me two grandchildren already, when are you going to start popping some out as well?"

Shizune promptly turned bright red, much to everyone's amusement.

"Tsunade-sama!!"

* * *

"Sakura had stumbled upon some very important information regarding the Akatsuki when she was in Ame. She passed this to me in the birthing room." Tsunade looked hard at a distraught Naruto as she produced the sealed scroll. "Within it contains details regarding the very origin of Akatsuki, as well as its true leader."

There was a stunned pause.

"Jiraiya has already confirmed some of the information in here, and we have decided to assume that the intelligence has not been compromised."

* * *

"_Why should I trust you, Sakura?" _

_The Godaime Hokage looked at her pale-faced student as she accepted the highly secured scroll from the laboring female. _

_The look of hurt on Sakura's face was obvious, but the kunoichi forged on bravely. _

"_Because Konoha is still my home." Her face was earnest and completely without guile, and she was trying her best to convince her teacher that she was not lying. "Because all my precious people are still here and you know that I won't do anything to hurt any one of you." _

_When the busty blonde did not seem to answer, Sakura continued speaking, her voice imploring. _

"_Please shishou; this information will help Naruto in the long run." The pink-haired female pleaded for her sensei's trust. "I'm risking everything to tell you this." _

_The Hokage frowned ferociously, not liking what she was hearing. _

"_What do you mean?"_

Sakura trembled as another wave of contractions hit her. She bit her lip and tried not to whimper out from the pained pressure in her womb. It was a couple of minutes later before she was recovered enough to speak.

"_They…knew from the beginning that Naruto would come after me." The pink-haired kunoichi gasped. "They planned to use me to lure Naruto into their trap but yet they chose to let me return to Konoha now. Why do you think they changed their mind?"  
_

_Tsunade frowned. This could be yet another elaborate trap that Akatsuki was planning, to have them lower their guards…_

_But the fear on Sakura's face was so genuine that Tsunade knew immediately that wasn't the case. _

"_Shishou…" her voice was filled with overwhelming worry. "They want my babies." _

_Before the Fifth could say a thing Sakura continued to speak. _

"_Uchiha Madara wants to use my babies for experimentation, to find out more about the Mangekyo's abilities." _

_The Hokage clearly believed that her disciple had gone insane. _

"_Uchiha…Madara?" _

_But her emerald eyes were clear and not glittering with madness as they regarded Tsunade. _

"_He is the true leader of Akatsuki. We have all seen him before. Tobi, the masked nin." _

_Tsunade glanced sharply at her student. For a long moment, neither spoke. _

_Uchiha Madara? This was completely ludicrous! Uchiha Madara should not still be alive right now! He had lived during the Shodaime's reign; if he was alive still he would have been over a century and a half in age! _

"_He is immortal. The secret of the Mangekyo…" _

_Hard amber met imploring emerald. _

"_This is rubbish," Tsunade snapped. But before Sakura could wilt in defeat the blonde continued to speak. "What you are saying is so preposterous that no one would have believed it to be the truth."_

_Then Tsunade sighed loudly. _

"_But that's why I should believe you." _

_Sakura's eyes lit up with hope, but Tsunade was not done yet. She looked hard at her disciple. "If you are lying about this…" _

_  
Sakura shook her head immediately. _

"_Please, just read the scroll. Everything is in there and-oh!" She grimaced as yet another merciless wave of contractions inundated her. _

_Immediately, Tsunade tucked the scroll safely into her clothes and went to check on Sakura's condition. _

"_We will talk about this later. Now we have your babies to deliver. And just where the hell is that Shizune?" _

_The Hokage fired up healing chakra into her hands and started to check on her student's vital stats. _

"_Shishou, thank you." _

_Sakura's gratitude was genuine, and Tsunade glared halfheartedly at her. _

"_Shut up. You are irritating me with all the 'thank yous'." _

_Sakura's breath hitched. She missed her teacher so much. _

"_But I have one last thing to ask of you." _

"_What is it?" By now, the busty Hokage had returned her attention to the twins nestled impatiently within her student's belly. _

"_Hokage-sama." The way Sakura addressed her teacher was so formal that Tsunade immediately raised her head to look at the younger kunoichi. Sakura could only smile shakily at the way the blonde was starting to frown. _

"_Please let me die." _

* * *

Naruto's hands shook as he re-rolled the scroll that he had just read.

In it was Sakura-chan's familiar handwriting, and its contents clearly depicted the insanity of one twisted man as he willingly instigated unneeded violence and atrocities just for the chance to see Konoha burn to the ground.

Never mind that he had once belonged to Leaf as well, but what he had done was simply unforgivable.

Uchiha Madara.

He had been the one to send the Kyuubi to Konoha.

He was the reason why Naruto had become a Jinchuriki.

He was the reason why Naruto's own father had to seal the Nine Tails into his navel.

He was the reason why Naruto had been an orphan his entire life.

He even had an entire clan, everything that Naruto would kill to have but he had willingly wiped out the lives of all his kin just for the sake of power.

_Unforgivable. _

For someone like him who had to work so hard to earn his precious people one by one, what this Madara had done was simply unforgivable.

And now, he had been the indirect cause behind Sakura's death.

A dark shadow covered the blonde's eyes as he handed the scroll back to Tsunade.

The Godaime Hokage, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and himself were currently in the Hokage's office.

"Naruto, tone it down," Jiraiya advised. "You are still in the Hokage's tower and you know that ANBU don't take kindly to such a degree of killing intent anywhere near Tsunade."

Said busty blonde rolled her eyes. "I can take on the brat anytime." Amber eyes were focused on the still form of Naruto. "Look, brat-"

"I want to crush him."

There was no hatred, no anger, no fury in his voice. Just cold blankness. Even the earlier killing intent had been abruptly tamed and controlled. The three older nin exchanged glances.

"I want to make him pay." The blonde lifted his head, and the cheerful Naruto was gone. Once happy, sapphire blue eyes were now injected with cold, hard steel. "I want to destroy Akatsuki. I don't care if he is immortal; I want Uchiha Madara to go to hell. I want all of them to go to hell. _I want them all to pay_."

The calm, concentrated rage in his voice was like nothing they had ever seen on Naruto before, and it gave them chills to see him like this.

Tsunade considered Naruto calmly. Motivation as raw and as desperate as this was good and all, but she was starting to wonder if it had been such a good idea at all to keep the truth from the blonde Jinchuriki.

But it was too late to contemplate this now, and not letting Naruto know had been a necessity in itself anyway. The blue-eyed blonde simply could not act to save his life, and the Akatsuki intelligence was sure to sniff out a rat and report back the oddity if it was so, and Sakura's supposed death would have been discovered as a cover up and everything would have been blown straight to hell.

So Tsunade kept her mouth firmly shut. Grief like Naruto had exhibited over Sakura's 'death' could never be faked after all, and the Hokage quickly made the unwavering decision to tell Naruto the truth only when this entire fiasco with the Akatsuki was over. After all, it wasn't just Sakura that they had to protect now; there was also the safety of her offspring to consider as well. Still, the busty blonde was aware that Naruto would definitely blow up on her when he realized the truth, but was sure that when he finally calmed down enough to think about it would have grudgingly agreed with her decisions in the end.

Naruto was a lot smarter than he looked—he was going to be the Rokudaime one day, after all.

Tsunade nodded grimly, and tried not to feel guilty over the way that she was basically manipulating the blonde brat whom she had always regarded like a brother.

_Gomen ne, Naruto. _

"Very well. We will help you get your revenge." Amber eyes stared unflinchingly into hard blue ones. "From now on, our goal will be to bring down the Akatsuki, and to ensure that it would never rise again."

Naruto jerked his head down curtly.

"We still need to be careful though." Kakashi added his own input. "More of Akatsuki's organizational structure may have been revealed to us now, but their abilities and strength are nothing to sneeze at."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement. The Gama Sennin still remembered how he had underestimated Pein and his Rinnegan, and had almost paid dearly for it.

Naruto was hardly daunted. His eyes were hard.

"Then we will hunt them down one by one." The hidden aspect to his ANBU training was now very evident in his viciousness. "Run them over with our strength, and pick them apart until there is nothing left, not even carcasses and bones."

Before the rest could reply to Naruto's newfound streak of brutal ruthlessness, he continued speaking.

"We have done it before. Hidan and Kakuzu. Sasori and Deidara. We will do it again." Blue eyes looked to his superiors for approval, and all three nin would never know it, but they all breathed a secret sigh of relief when they saw the flash of vulnerable humanity that flashed past the blonde's eyes for a brief instance.

Having a bloodthirsty, mentally warped Naruto running around would definitely not be good for the health of everyone concerned.

"I'm so tired of being chased after by them," the blonde whispered. Then his eyes hardened again. "I want to fight back now."

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, and after a long moment the shaggy-haired male nodded once.

Naruto had learned all that Jiraiya had to teach. If he wasn't ready now he was never going to be ready.

"Being offensive may be a good idea…" Tsunade allowed cautiously at last. "But what we need now is more information regarding Uchiha Madara. Anybody who could control the Kyuubi as easily as he had is definitely a force to be reckoned with. The historical texts doesn't mention much about him other than for his aiding the Shodaime in the formation of Konoha as well as his subsequent defeat to the First in the Valley of the End. We need to know more."

Surprising enough, Naruto knew just where this was heading.

"Sasuke will have to be informed about what is going on." The blonde muttered.

Kakashi nodded.

"We will need access to the Uchiha vaults. Sasuke would know where they are, and he has to give us the permission to use it since he is technically the head of the Uchiha clan."

Naruto grimaced. He really doubted that Sasuke enjoyed very much being a one-man clan, and now that he understood so much better his teammate's overwhelming thirst for revenge Naruto realized that they could both work together to get what they both so desperately needed—vengeance. There would be all the more reason for the last Uchiha to join forces with them now and it won't be difficult to convince him. They share common prey now. Just one whiff regarding the whereabouts of Uchiha Itachi as well as Madara and Naruto was convinced that the other male would be raring to go.

Naruto's eyes darkened.

_It begins now. _

* * *

It was going to begin soon.

Crimson eyes stared blankly across the horizon, the sunrise at dawn painting the skies in magnificent shades of reds and pinks.

The winds of change were shifting again, and he could feel it.

And this time, it was highly possible that Madame Fate would not be smiling down upon him again.

He closed his eyes briefly, and opened them again.

Ice bled into formerly emotionless Sharingan.

It didn't matter.

Whatever it was, he would be ready.

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

As promised, the midweek update. I will try to maintain two updates per week, and chapter 10 will probably be up sometime this weekend as well, if all goes to plan.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

And well, Sakura finally gives birth. It wasn't as smooth sailing as one would have expected, and I hope you guys had thoroughly enjoyed your dose of drama. You cannot believe the amount of research that I had to look into so as to properly write an authentic childbirth process, _and then_ I'm still not completely certain if I had done it any justice at all. Any experienced mothers out there; you are definitely welcome to correct anything that I had written wrongly.

Also, special thanks go to my good friend, Anariel Tindomerel, for her additional informative explanation regarding the birthing process. And in case you were wondering, Anariel has never given birth before. She is a first year Vet Science student, and well, the biological concept is rather similar, after all.

…Besides, we are all animals no matter how much we try to deny it.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Alright, and without further ado, Childbirth 101 begins now! Of course, I will not be explaining everything; that would take forever. I will attempt to do my best to share some of what I had learnt via the ever resourceful internet, and mostly about the interesting little tidbits that I had made use of to make this chapter as realistic as I possibly could.

Here we go!

As a rule of thumb, dilation of the cervix occurs on the average of a centimeter an hour. Theoretically, that is. The situation will definitely not be the same for different woman. For those who are clueless about what this means (like I originally was), dilation is the opening of the cervix during childbirth, of course, to facilitate the passage of a baby from the uterus through the vagina. The cervix needs to dilate from zero (not dilated at all) to ten centimeters (fully dilated) before pushing can begin and the baby is delivered. This is because the average diameter of a full-term baby's head is around ten centimeters in length, and the head is definitely the widest part of the baby.

Fetuses experiencing distress are not necessarily abnormal, especially during labor. In fact, the process of childbirth itself is very stressful for the soon-to-be-born baby as well, and the term 'fetal distress' can also be used to describe a situation where the fetus is beginning show signs of exhaustion, decrease in natal movement/heart rate, etc. In Sakura's case, it was partially caused by the fact that she was having multiple births, not to mention placenta abruption/placenta praevia. Obviously, that is not a good sign for a successful birthing.

According to Wikipedia, placenta abruption/placenta praevia is a complication of pregnancy, wherein the placenta lining has separated from the uterus of the mother and is covering the cervix, be it partially or fully. This can be fatal to both mother and baby, and can result in massive hemorrhage, bringing the mother into shock and multiple organ failure, and also resulting in brain damage or even death of the unborn infant due to the insufficient oxygen in the blood passed from mother to baby before the end of labor. In normal cases, Caesarean section is immediately performed to save mother and child, but as you can see I had Tsunade perform something completely unorthodox instead; shift the placenta back temporarily until childbirth occurs naturally. Of course, that is not a medically possible feat in the real world. Once again, I literally pulled that out of my butt, but of course, this is just one of the many wonders of fanfiction, eh?

High energy supplements are normally given to a mother during the early stages of labor to keep her energy up, as well as to prevent dehydration and ketosis, which is the breakdown of body fat into energy in place of carbohydrates, a process that normally occurs during starvation. Since Sakura had a long birth ahead of her, it made sense that she should be fed and hydrated and as often as possible so as not to lose energy that would be needed for labor.

There are different positions that a pregnant woman can adopt during childbirth to facilitate an easier and less painful delivery. Contrary to popular belief, lying on the back during childbirth is actually the most ineffective and uncomfortable position for a laboring mother. Doctors and midwives prefer it because it provides the best eye space and control on the baby but it doesn't provide much movement as mother is pushing against gravity, not to mention that the pressure of the baby's head on the back and tailbone can be excruciating for her as well. Therefore, I had Sakura take up a more unorthodox method of giving birth: on her hands and knees. Theoretically, it is supposed to facilitate an easier pushing by going with gravity, not to mention that back pain is tremendously reduced in this position.

A breech condition is most common in twin birthing, most of the time occurring in the case of a second born twin, i.e. if the first twin is born head down, the second may most likely be breeched. For those who are not aware of what this means, a breech birth refers of the position of the baby in the uterus such that it will be delivered buttocks first as opposed to the normal head first condition, according to Wikipedia. Sakura's labor began prematurely, as was the norm for most multiple birthing, therefore it's inevitable that one of her babies were breeched, seeing that they had no time to turn into the head-first position, as was what should happen in the case of a full-term baby.

All those scenes on television of a screaming/crying and/or cursing laboring mother aren't very accurate in real life. Those were just acting. Childbirth classes would advice that yelling and kicking up a fuss in an effort to express pain is a huge waste of energy, and may make pushing less effective in the long run. Whimpers, small groans, growls and deep breaths are encouraged to conserve strength better, and that was precisely what Sakura had done.

Well, these are all the little facts that I think I had used for this chapter. Yes, I'm positively _insane_, I'm aware. I nearly pulled out all my hair trying to sort out the overload in information, but I finally feel that it's worth it now, to have the chapter as authentic as possible. Sakura is a highly trained medic-nin, she should be aware of all the best and most effective methods when it comes to childbirth and in my defense I have no intention of writing blindly about something I have no prior knowledge of only for the characters and plot to…flop, I suppose, due to a certain inattention to detail.

Yes, I know I'm very anal…and why on earth am I explaining myself again?

Moving on.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

The cute, wittle Uchiha babies. There will be more about them in the next few chapters. Anyone willing to guess their names? The clue for those who are interested: They will be named after their parents, one for each.

Have fun guessing!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 4895

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 04/05/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10

* * *

It had been two months since Sakura gave birth to the twins and the kunoichi was still in Konoha with her children.

But it was well past time to leave.

Of course, they were secured in a highly guarded area of the hospital, but Sakura had long since recovered from her childbirth injuries, rapidly regaining strength and even actively training whenever she had the chance.

Her two sons were as healthy as can be, nursing voraciously from their mother's milk and growing quickly as well, gaining weight and easily catching up to that of a singular born baby. They were demanding and required a lot of attention _at the same time_, and more often than not poor Sakura was run ragged just looking after her sons.

Uchiha Kurohyou, and Uchiha Kusabana.

The bloodline of the Uchiha clan clearly ran in the veins of her babies. Their soft hair was raven black like their father's and so were their eyes: a pure shade of onyx that marked them the newest members of the dying Uchiha clan.

For Kurohyou, the latter held true for only about the first week or so after birth.

It hadn't been noticeable at first, of course, but little Kurohyou's left eye started to lighten until it became the most brilliant shade of emerald, just like his mama's.

Sakura could not explain the strange phenomena, and neither could Tsunade. Kurohyou's right eye had remained the same color as that of his younger sibling's, and since the little baby did not appear to be at all affected by his abrupt change in eye color, his heterochromia was promptly accepted as part of his genetics. After all, this made it a lot easier for everyone other than their mother to identify just who was who.

And as Jiraiya had commented jokingly once, the boy was going to be an absolute heartbreaker when he grew up, what with that infamous moody Uchiha personality as well as those exotic eyes. The Gama Sennin promptly got thumped across the head by Tsunade for speaking such nonsense, of course. Then the blonde brought her face very closely to the unblinking gaze of the little baby, and informed him quite seriously that if he ever became a pervert 'baa-san' would have no qualms smacking that perversion right out of him as well.

In the face of such a dangerous threat, Kurohyou yawned widely and promptly went to sleep. Beside him, the more sweet-tempered Kusabana cooed at the nonplussed expression of the busty Hokage, much to everyone's amusement.

Still, Tsunade was pleased that the babies were developing exceedingly well. Like all babies do, they slept a lot for the first couple of weeks, crying for food and staying awake for mama's milk before succumbing to sleep again. Evidently, being born to this world had been just as exhausting for the newest Uchiha as it had for their mother.

But just five weeks after birth, they were rapidly catching up. Kurohyou had been the first to lift his head but Kusabana had always been the more responsive baby of the two. The youngest boy would coo and whimper sweetly whenever he was picked up, and both babies had a most uncanny ability of fixing their attention firmly on a person, their eyes focused steadily into the gaze of whoever held their attention, almost as if judging them critically. Such intensity was virtually unheard of in a normal baby, let alone two, but Tsunade eventually dismissed their extraordinarily rapt attention as a side effect of their developing doujutsu.

And now they were learning to smile.

Surprisingly, little Kuro-kun had been the first to _attempt_ smiling. It was a little squint of his mismatched eyes and the quiver of his chubby cheek muscles and the little one ended up looking as if he was grimacing instead. But Sakura had been completely charmed. Her firstborn would only smile for her though; no amount of coaxing or silly antics from Tsunade (and by default Jiraiya) afterwards could coax the solemn baby into performing that facial tic again.

However, the deliberate exertions of both Sannin did not go to waste; little Kusa-kun appeared to be completely amused by all the faces that the decidedly odd pair was making and smiled beautifully as a reward for them, much to the glowing pride of his mother.

It had been completely embarrassing, that the great Slug Princess Tsunade had been thoroughly defeated by a baby's first smile.

Tsunade kicked up a big fuss pretending that she was hardly affected by Kusabana's sweet smile (which convinced nobody, by the way) and took the time to shove a few pieces of paper to their mother instead.

It took Sakura awhile to register just what was written on the scrolls. To the kunoichi's pleasant surprise, Tsunade had registered the twins into Konoha's birth records. The Hokage did not plan to file the documents together with the rest of the publicly accessed records however, and had opted to keep the secret safe in the vault within her office.

The Uchiha twins were born on the first week of summer, on the 4th of June. Both babies were healthy and suffered no birth defects despite the premature labor. The firstborn, Uchiha Kurohyou, took his first breath at 12.36 pm whereas his younger brother, Uchiha Kusabana, emerged from their mother's womb only at 2.48 pm.

The boys were born to Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura, both Leaf nin and S-class classified information.

Sakura could not believe her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," Tsunade had grumped. "Technically, Uchiha Itachi belongs to Konoha. He is a nukenin yes, but he is a nukenin of Konoha and thus our problem. About time he gave something back too," The busty blonde grumbled under her breath. "After all the trouble that he has given us."

At Sakura's questioning look the Hokage scowled at her student. Jiraiya smirked, and then excused himself out of the room. He was not a moment too soon, judging by Tsunade's great dislike for emotional moments, he just knew that she was going to use him for painful (on his part) comic relief if he insisted on staying.

He would be right.

"I'm claiming your children as properties of Leaf," Tsunade declared bluntly. "I don't care where you choose to raise them, but when they are of age to take the Genin exams I want them back here, is that clear?"

Tsunade had anticipated from the beginning that Sakura would take off with her children as soon as she could, and against everything, the blonde had understood her student's need to leave.

And now she was telling Sakura in her own way that Konoha's gates would always be open to her and her children.

Tsunade looked at the extremely moved look on the younger kunoichi's face and scowled harder. Damn postnatal hormones.

"So I had better not see that brood of yours in Suna twelve years down the road. Or god forbid, Iwa." Tsunade looked completely appalled by her own imaginations, and Sakura could only smile and shake her head in confirmation.

"My children are born in Konoha, shishou. Leaf will always be their country." The quiet pride in Sakura's voice was unmistakable. "They will become nin of the Leaf."

Tsunade's eyes warmed.

"Then you had better make sure to keep this promise."

Sakura's smile took on a look of complete confidence. "I will."

Tsunade hmmphed.

"What are your plans now?"

Sakura's eyes darkened slightly. The kunoichi tucked the blankets carefully around her twins before looking back at her Hokage.

"I'm not planning to look for their father, if that's what you were asking." She looked frankly at her teacher. "Itachi…has his own battles to fight, and I don't want to bring the children into it."

The older female nodded in understanding. War was approaching, and now that Sakura had the little ones to think of, she could not blame the pink-haired female for wanting to settle herself in a safe den.

And after all that was said and done, the Uchiha heir was still a dangerous S-class nukenin. As much as there was no way for Tsunade to begrudge her student for falling into a relationship with the notorious Akatsuki, they both knew that nothing had changed. Konoha would kill Uchiha Itachi if it ever got the chance, and Sakura understood that her village had the right to want him punished for the atrocious crimes and bloodshed that he had committed.

The father of her babies was no tame kitty cat however; he was highly dangerous and even sometimes psychologically unstable. Loving him was such a hard thing to do, but as much as Sakura berated herself for being a glutton for suffering, she would have it no other way.

And Tsunade had no choice but to grudgingly admit that there may be more to the Uchiha than they had previously assumed. The blonde had no idea whatsoever of the dynamics between her student and the Uchiha, but the nukenin's actions had spoken more than words could ever say. The seemingly cold blooded male had come through for Sakura and their children, and by blatantly shielding them from the deadly attention of Uchiha Madara—

The powerful and undefeatable Uchiha Itachi was revealing his one and only weakness.

Their relationship may not be as one-sided as she had originally thought, after all.

"…how is Naruto?"

Sakura's abrupt question jolted the older female from her inner musings. It was obvious from the younger kunoichi's voice that she was worried for her blonde brother.

According to Kakashi and Tsunade, Naruto had taken the news of her supposed death hard, and it seemed that he was now very determined to take down Akatsuki at all costs, training feverishly and obsessively. The only other who could match him in terms of intensity was of course Sasuke, and from what she heard, the last Uchiha (not anymore, not really) had too been informed of her involvement with his elder brother, as well as the subsequent 'deaths' of herself and her children.

To her nervous surprise, no adverse reaction had been reported from the broody male, and he had agreed immediately to working with Naruto to destroy Akatsuki. After all, they shared a common goal now—to annihilate the two Uchiha who had caused them so much misery.

Tsunade saw no need to lie to her disciple.

"He's on a warpath." The blonde was blunt in her answer.

Sakura cringed inwardly.

_Oh, Naruto. _

The pink-haired female looked at her Hokage, but before she could even open her mouth the older kunoichi was already shaking her head.

"We can't let Naruto know that you are alive."

Sakura was not even about to pretend that she wasn't about to ask.

"Why not?"

"Because he needs this," at Sakura's stunned look Tsunade continued. "He is very motivated to destroy Akatsuki right now, and so is Sasuke. What do you think he will focus more on when he knows that you are alive?"

It didn't take long for Sakura to make the link.

Tsunade nodded decisively.

"You know that he will go to any lengths to protect you and your babies. If he cannot stay focused on the real threat now…"

Sakura closed her eyes.

Naruto could be in danger because of her.

"He may be grieving now, but he will get over it eventually." Wise amber eyes regarded the worried form of her student. "But if he loses sight of what he is supposed to do now-"

He could wind up dead.

Just the thought of her cheerful blonde friend dead or captured by the Akatsuki and tortured made the kunoichi blanch with undisguised pain and horror.

The reality was hard to bear, but Sakura knew that her shishou was right. It really would be better if she lay low for now.

When everything settled down again…

Maybe she could reunite with her friends and teammates then.

For now, she could only wait.

And so, it was better for her to leave.

* * *

A few days later, Sakura was finally ready to leave Konoha. Only Kakashi and Tsunade were present to see her off, and by then she was properly disguised as 'Midori' again. She would leave as a civilian, along with a band of traveling merchants who had visited Konoha a few days ago and were set to leave the village as well.

It was going to be hard, Sakura knew, to look after both her babies alone, without the aid or support of family and friends alike. But there was no choice for her. Haruno Sakura was officially dead and spending the rest of her life sneaking around Konoha was certainly something that she was not looking forward to.

It was going to be quite a challenge from now on, but Sakura thought that she would relish in it.

After all, being kept busy would mean that she would have less time to think about…life.

And it was true. These days she barely had enough time for a proper rest, let alone wonder about what was happening to Itachi. The babies kept her up all night and took turns demanding for her attention in a way that left her no time for herself. Sakura didn't know whether to be upset or to be relieved, but living with her twins was certainly hectic, to say the least.

"Where will you go from here?" Kakashi asked his student as he regarded her quietly.

Sakura shrugged slightly as she accepted the packs of supplies that would be needed for her journey. She would travel with the merchant wagons, renting one for herself and her babies because her children were simply still too young to travel any other way.

"I'm thinking of returning to Nami," Sakura admitted quietly. "It's a civilian village and it would be a peaceful place to raise the twins."

Tsunade merely nodded. A civilian settlement would be a good place not to attract attention from those in the shinobi world, and if war really did break out Sakura would be safe from the worst of the conflict.

"Well, wherever you choose to settle in, just get one of Katsuyu's children to send me a message, you hear?"

Before Sakura could reply, the busty blonde frowned at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Jounin of Konohagakure no Sato, Haruno Sakura," The Hokage spoke crisply. "From henceforth, until further notice, you are temporarily suspended from active duty. However, you will not be allowed to aid in any missions or assignments from other villages or organizations meaning to do harm to Konohagakure no Sato. To do so would be punishable by death, and you will be ordered to be killed on sight."

It was standard procedure that Tsunade was going through and as she droned on Kakashi stood silently by as witness.

Sakura nodded and felt an odd lump gather in her throat. Shishou's words and Kakashi's solemn gaze had just made everything official.

"…do you understand, Haruno Sakura?"

She was going to be alone again.

No, not entirely alone.

This time, she would have her sons with her.

Itachi. Part of Itachi.

It would be enough.

Sakura nodded curtly, eyes resolute and every inch the proud kunoichi that she was.

"Yes, I give my vow."

* * *

'Midori'-san returned to that little civilian village in Nami no Kuni six months after her abrupt departure.

With her were her two newborns, twins and both only about three months old. Her return was greatly welcomed by the rest of the villagers; the talented young mother had been the best healer that they had ever known, and great pains were immediately taken to help her settle back into the small, rural community. The womenfolk were extremely helpful as they helped clean and clear the now dusty and cobweb-ridden cottage, and the men brought in some fresh produce and newly-caught fishes for the brunette female.

Midori-san was kept fully occupied seeing to the sick and old the moment news of her return reached the villagers, dispensing remedies and curing diseases. Her beautiful babies were cooed over and carefully looked after by the cleaning women, placed in the nursery next to the living area as their mother worked her healing magic on those who needed it.

Safely ensconced in the arms of a buxom female, Kusabana promptly went to sleep. His older brother was not so docilely-behaved, unfortunately. Clearly inheriting the mistrustful and paranoid genes of his father, Kurohyou was completely uncomfortable being in the proximity of so many strangers and he wanted his mother. Now. In a rare show of temper, the normally quiet baby proceeded to make a huge racket, crying and scaring his poor younger brother awake.

And then there were two wailing babies.

Nothing could soothe them, and in the end, the twins were situated in a cot by the living room, and although Sakura did not want them to be exposed to any sort of contagious sickness there was simply nowhere else they would rather be, and so they stayed. The womenfolk were charmed. How cute that the babies were so close to their mother!

Midori could only smile ruefully. There was no doubt that her children were their father's sons. They were demanding and always had to have their way, and went about charming women left and right without even doing so consciously.

Jiraiya was right after all, Sakura mused idly as she saw to the last of the patients and walked them to the door. Returning to her living room, she stopped before the crib to look fondly upon her babies, smiling faintly as she watched them sleep.

Oh yes, her sons were definitely going to be heartbreakers when they grew up.

Sakura could not help but feel maternal pride swell within her whenever she looked at her beautiful children, and emerald eyes softened as she ran her fingers tenderly across their little faces and soft, downy hair. Already, they were starting to take after their father in terms of appearance, and Sakura had no doubt that their physical resemblance would become even more apparent as they grew up. The kunoichi still could not decide if that was a good thing or not—

She missed _him_.

She missed him so damn much.

Her heart called out for him all the time and her loneliness became more so when she was alone at night. It was true that her two three month old children exhausted her most of the time and so had their move to Nami, but in dreams she could not hide her longing. Her sleep was plagued by familiar ruby eyes and silky, raven hair, and Sakura would not deny that she missed her lover dearly. It was hard not to think of him, and sometimes one thought led to another and she would wonder about the possibilities of him making it back alive—

Sakura had great faith in her country and friends, and with Akatsuki so greatly weakened by the deaths of four of their members, the odds were stacked high against him.

Sakura really did not want to think too much about it.

If that day really did come, then the kunoichi knew that she would just have to deal with it. But not right now. Even if so, she was determined to be like her shishou, who had remained so strong despite the loss of her lover and brother. In that manner of thought, Sakura decided that she was already luckier than her Hokage in that aspect.

He had made her a mother. He had given her his children and not just one, but two. The pain of bringing them to this world had been considerable, but it was a sacrifice she would willingly give again and again if need be. Her babies filled her with so much joy, and their sweet, little presences could almost completely fill the dark, gaping void that their father's absence had left in her heart.

The kunoichi sighed softly.

And then there was the fact that Itachi had not laid eyes on his sons yet. Worst still was the chilling thought that her sons might never get to know their father.

Blue eyes darkened.

_Would you be pleased? Our sons are so beautiful._

_Where are you? Please…stay safe._

* * *

Two months after her move to Nami, the war against Akatsuki began in earnest.

Sakura was unaware of the full details, but despite her noninvolvement in the matter, she still kept a close ear to the ground, corresponding with her shishou via the slug summons that they both shared a contract with. Life in the small civilian village was simple, and while the twins were fussing more than usual now that they had begun teething, Sakura was completely determined to maintain contact with the world outside. Between generally taking care of the babies, coaxing them to eat, and giving them chilled baby toys to chew upon Sakura was almost too busy for anything else. She was lucky that her sons did not suffer from fever or even diarrhea during that uncomfortable process; if not, the kunoichi really had no idea how she would have coped.

Eventually she learnt to juggle her time between her babies, her covert information gathering, as well as being 'Midori', the acting healer for the small village.

From what she had learnt, a highly specialized combat/tracking team had been formed to counter the Akatsuki, and there were at least eight A to S-class Jounin involved, among those were her teammates, separate members from the original Rookie Nine as well as from Team Gai, not to mention the older, more experienced Jounin like Kakashi and even Anko.

Finally, Leaf was recognizing the massive threat that the Akatsuki was rapidly becoming, and since Jiraiya had presented concrete proof regarding the existence of Uchiha Madara just a few weeks ago, even the village council was determined to see to the complete destruction of the terrorist organization. It had been bad enough that they had one Uchiha go berserk on the village and massacre nearly his entire clan before escaping successfully, but to think that there was a deeper plot hidden behind it…

One very annoying thing that Tsunade had realized about the village councilors was their blatant aversion to change. But what those aged elders detested even more was the unknown, especially an unknown that could pose a great threat to Konoha. And so it was agreed that the Akatsuki would have to be destroyed; an organization going around collecting bijuu could not be allowed to remain as it was, and while the village council had been initially indifferent to the Akatsuki's attempts to seal the tailed beasts for their own usage, the startling news that they had already collected the Six Tails could no longer be ignored.

After all, it would be catastrophic if they did successfully extract all the tailed bijuu, including the most dangerous one from their very own Jinchuriki.

And if they joined forces with other shinobi countries, like Iwa or even Kumo…

The results would be disastrous.

And that was why some of the best Jounin in Leaf were being called upon to join in this mission. Akatsuki may consist of some extremely powerful nin capable of killing Kage, but Konohagakure no Sato was not known as the strongest among the five Greats for no reason at all, and seeing as it had been so long since the last Secret Ninja War, it was well past time to remind the world just how powerful the peaceful Leaf could be.

They had the greatest variety of ninjas at the ready to do their all to protect their village; two of the legendary Sannin, one of whom was the Hokage and the other the great Gama Sage, the powerful Hyuuga clan and their all seeing doujutsu, the son of the infamous Konoha no shiroi kiba, the Taijutsu specialists Maito Gai and Rock Lee, the tracking specialists Inuzuka and their ninken, the Aburame clan with their purposeful kikai bugs, the lone Uchiha avenger, and last but not least Uzumaki Naruto, the notorious Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and only son of the Yondaime Hokage.

There were many more of course, like the genius Nara strategists, the torture and interrogation specialist Morino; all were well-trained and lethal, and most importantly they had great strength in numbers and they were not at all afraid to use it. This was not a fair competition. This was a war, and if it meant that the conflict could be dealt with as swiftly as possible with as least casualties involved, the Leaf was certainly not above shoving through to victory with their sheer amount of overpowering shinobi.

Even Suna was joining in on the massive hunt, with the Godaime Kazekage preparing the elite members of his Jounin squads at the Suna/Konoha borders ready to move out the very moment Leaf gave the signal. Sand too recognized the danger that was growing before them, and by way of strengthening their alliance with Leaf, Suna was more than willing to help destroy Akatsuki. They had no love for the terrorist organization in the first place, especially after those nukenin had nearly killed their Kage eight years ago.

And so, together both countries would hunt and eliminate—and they were ready to set out.

Even from peaceful Nami, Sakura could feel the tension, the hushed whispers of the trees, the swift change of winds.

This was inevitable.

And Sakura could only pray. Pray for the safety of all her precious people, pray for the safety of her lover.

* * *

Another three months passed, and by then the twins were already eight months old. They were growing fast and learning at a rapid speed.

Both Kurohyou and Kusabana had already learnt how to crawl and could already sit unsupported by themselves. Sakura had been surprised by how quickly her babies were both developing. They had also become very curious with their surroundings, always grabbing for any objects within distance and putting it into their mouths, much to her dismay though. The twins were getting a lot more vocal than before too, and it never failed to make Sakura smile whenever they babbled incoherently to each other. By now, she was really starting to see just how different in character her sons were, but despite that, the twins seemed to share a very close bond with each other.

It was obvious to her that Kurohyou would take more after his father. Her firstborn was unnaturally wary and simply did not like to be put near strangers. He was quiet most of the time but was always looking around himself, forever curious and just taking note of his surroundings. For now, there were only two persons that he liked: His mama, and his younger brother.

On the other hand, little Kusabana was one happy baby. He was the one who laughed and smiled the most often, sometimes even banging his little fists against the table surface as he threw his little head back and shrieked with glee. He was also more at ease around strangers compared to his distrustful brother, though the elder sibling would normally calm down some if Kusabana was around as well.

Still, despite their vast differences, her sons got along just fine. When put together in the same crib Kusa-kun would putter around with toys, actively wriggling around in circles putting anything he could reach into his mouth. Kuro-kun was a little more dignified. The older baby preferred to watch his younger brother get into mischief most of the time, though occasionally he would be right behind Kusabana, gurgling and gumming on soft toys and rubber teethers.

It never failed to warm Sakura's heart whenever she saw her children together like that, and she felt so glad that she was their mother. They were so smart, and like any proud mama she would tell anyone who visited that day about their antics; how they were already recognizing their names, how they simply love the little tasty biscuits that a kind neighbor had baked for them.

For the moment at least, Sakura was perfectly contented to remain as she was right here in this little village, watching over her babies as they grew up healthy and happy.

Then unexpectedly, the news came; Konoha had taken out Zetsu.

The Kusa nukenin had been cornered in sand territory and promptly eliminated by the Kazekage with the aide of a team of tracking specialists from Leaf. And so now Akatsuki was seriously crippled, with the latest death of their spymaster.

First Kill.

* * *

Then, when the babies were eighteen months old, Sakura's peaceful world was once again rocked by an unexpected visit.

The kunoichi had opened her door early one morning to a heart achingly familiar sight.

A tall Jounin with messy, silver hair, carrying a lanky, unconscious blonde, badly wounded and bleeding all over the place. And lastly, the 'not-so-last-anymore' Uchiha, complete with smoldering dark eyes and broody countenance.

Team Seven.

Sakura could only stare, frozen with shock and inundated by memories. So many memories.

"Midori-san." Kakashi's solemn voice broke her out of her stupor. Sakura quickly turned her attention to the blonde Jounin whom he was carrying. Oh God. Naruto was bleeding so much. "My teammate here urgently requires your help."

Sasuke recognized her immediately, despite her dyed brown hair and contacts. His eyes flashed with shock, then narrowed.

"_Sakura._"

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

And here we go. This is somewhat like a filler chapter, that's why it isn't as long as the previous ones. I promise that the next installment would be longer, so hold your horses! The next update would be soon, probably on Wednesday, latest.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

None of you managed to guess the boys' names correctly, unfortunately. And I think that some of you mistook completely what I meant, too. The twins were not to be named after their grandparents, but after their parents. Well, sort of.

Unlike 'pitter patter', I decided to take some time to consider potential names, and Kurohyou and Kusabana were what I came up with in the end.

Here are the explanations, for those who don't understand what the kanji-translated romanji means:

Kurohyou, or 黒豹 in Kanji, literally means 'black panther' in Japanese. Kusabana, or 草花, on the other hand, means 'flowering plant'. See the relation to Itachi and Sakura now?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Heterochromia is an eye condition in which one iris is a different color from the other. In Kurohyou's case, it is genetically inherited. Heterochromia is not a disease; the condition is merely caused by an excess or lack in pigment within an iris, so little Kurohyou is not sick...just visually unique.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

There is no special significance behind the babies' birth date. I merely backtracked chronologically from 'heart strings' and 'This is my way as a ninja', and well, 4th June sounds like a rather wonderful summer day to give birth in.

…Actually, I really wouldn't know, since where I live, it is summer all year long.

And oh, the time of births for the twins are also roughly calculated from Sakura's start of labor in Ame, with the total estimated labor time of nineteen hours.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Curtain Call is officially no longer following after Kishimoto's plot. Actually, I'm quite sure that it was never really aligned to the Naruto-verse in the first place, unless ItaSaku is actually a canon pairing that we were all unaware of (as much as we all hope for it to be so).

Nonsensical ramblings aside, the entire plot that Madara is currently spouting in chapter 398 about Konoha and its sinister roots will not be included in CC. I have completed the unbeta-ed draft of CC weeks ago, and it's simply too late to change the plot now. I may eventually do a one-shot that would link closely to Kishimoto's newest twist in the manga, but that would depend on how cooperative my muse is willing to be. We will see, yeah?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6441

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 07/05/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 11

* * *

Reminiscing over the past was abruptly shoved to the backseat in order to ensure that Naruto did not die from his internal injuries. The team was immediately ushered into the tiny cottage, and Kakashi was promptly guided to put Naruto onto the makeshift bed that Sakura always used for her patients.

While the kunoichi started working on her fox brother, extreme worry shook her hands badly before she steadied them by sheer force of will. Green healing chakra flared into her hands as she started to examine him for the true extent of his condition. A fair distance away, Kakashi and Sasuke watched.

They had eliminated Konan in Kiri half a day ago, but Naruto had taken the full brunt of her deadly last attack before anyone could stop it, Kakashi had explained earlier as he laid the blonde down for Sakura to treat. Between the combined forces of Leaf and Sand, Amegakure had already been invaded and its opposing forces thoroughly suppressed nearly three months ago. The main members of the Akatsuki had escaped unscathed of course, but they no longer had a headquarters. It was a small victory for Suna and Konoha, for the sealed bijuu were nowhere to be found anywhere within the extensive underground caverns of the Akatsuki.

It was by sheer stupid chance that they had ran across the only female member of the terrorist organization, and although Konan had withdrew immediately, Team Seven had chosen to give chase, hunting her down and corralling her to where they wanted her to be. Kiri. They had the geographical advantage; paper jutsu and water did not go well together, after all, and if all else failed, they had a fire specialist with them. Sasuke.

The result of the fierce battle was apparent from the beginning, but the dangerous blue-haired female had put up quite a fight, despite the odds against her. In the end, she had been badly injured and dying, but still not willing to give up. Naruto had stepped up then with his Rasengan, planning to finish it once and for all, but Konan had one last surprise hidden up her sleeve.

That last jutsu that she had unleashed upon Naruto was like nothing they had ever seen before, and it was so fast and swift and desperate and it tore through the blonde as if _he_ was made of paper. But Naruto's momentum could not be stopped. The Rasengan slammed into the female Akatsuki in an unavoidable collision course, and her death was instantaneous.

Naruto himself should not have survived by all means and purpose, but the parasite living within him proved everyone wrong. Even now, he was healing slowly, just enough to prevent him from dying outright, his blood cell production rate skyrocketing to a level never before seen in a human being. It was at moments like these that Sakura was completely thankful for the Kyuubi within her fox brother. She focused on repairing his damaged internal organs, speeding up the healing process that the Nine Tails had already began.

As Sakura immersed herself in the energy exhausting and time consuming process of high level healing, Sasuke's eyes darkened as he stared hard at the now twenty-three year old female. It was obvious Kakashi had known that she had not died in childbirth, but he doubted that it was the same case for Naruto. The blonde's grief had been too real to be faked, and the spiky-haired Uchiha wondered just why such an elaborate lie had been placed over all of them to have them believe that Sakura had died. And why—

Almost as if on cue, the Uchiha detected a small movement by the hallway leading to the bedrooms, at the corner of his eyes. He reacted immediately. Hand in shuriken pouch, his muscles tensed as he prepared to act.

Then he saw that Kakashi did no such thing, only turning his attention slightly to the archway.

A small figure toddled out unsteadily, a tiny fist rubbing an eye as he ventured out to investigate what was making all the noise this early in the morning. A messy nest of raven black hair sat on the little one's head, and when he lowered his hand and blinked sleepily around, Kakashi's eye crinkled slightly.

Sasuke stiffened. Those onyx eyes…

"Hello, Kusabana-kun." The silver-haired Jounin called out gently to the little boy.

Kusabana stared at the odd man with one eye and then looked to the male beside him, currently staring at him with such intensity that the little boy felt a little afraid. They were both so tall!!

And they had such strange auras, like he had never felt in the villagers before. It was something like the aura that Kaa-san had, but different. Kusabana felt strangely shy. With a small squeak he turned around and scampered back into his room as quickly as his little legs could take him. Wait till he woke Kuro!!

"Maa maa, I think we scared him." Kakashi sounded almost cheerful, and Sasuke turned to regard the older male with dark, accusing eyes.

The boy was clearly an Uchiha.

_His brother's son. _

"Kakashi," Sasuke's voice was hoarse with disbelief and growing anger. His eyes pierced into his sensei's, hard and demanding. "What is going on here?"

Why did they want everyone to think that Sakura and her offspring were dead?

Were they hiding Itachi too?

Kakashi must have seen the growing doubt and paranoia in the younger male's eyes.

"It's not what you think." His voice was now serious but calm. "Sakura and her sons are being protected from the Akatsuki."

Sasuke's mind stumbled to an abrupt halt.

Sons?

He had only heard that Sakura had not survived childbirth, and afterwards had not been interested enough to learn more.

_Sons_.

The shock was apparent on the Uchiha's face, but before he could demand for more answers the sound of little feet pitter pattering across the floor resounded once more. Both Jounin turned to the noise. It was the same little boy, and this time he came nearer to them, his dark eyes alit with innocent curiosity, and belatedly, Sasuke could not help but notice that the child was still dressed in his pajamas.

At the far end of the room, working hard on Naruto and cordoned off by curtains, Sakura was blissfully unaware that her son was looking at his uncle in the flesh—and for the first time ever.

Kakashi crouched down so as to appear less intimidating to Sakura's youngest. The one and a half year old baby wandered nearer, his eyes darting from the silver-haired Jounin back to the expressionless Uchiha by his side.

All Sasuke could think at the moment was how much the boy resembled Itachi. His fists clenched unconsciously and his eyes turned cold—

But then the baby smiled

It was a shy little smile, and it revealed his upper front teeth. All four of them.

His uncle stilled.

Itachi had never smiled like that before. Not when he was an infant. Certainly not when he was still a Leaf nin.

The baby crept nearer, and then, with a small gurgled laugh, approached both nin at a faster pace, completely fascinated by the power thrumming around the two men.

A tiny index finger curled out from his little fist, and he reached out towards Kakashi. He poked at the silver-haired male's metallic forehead protector once, completely fascinated by the shiny texture and then poked it again, giggling with glee the entire while.

Kakashi smiled wryly.

Sasuke could only stare at the happy baby as he interacted with a slightly nonplussed Kakashi, and reluctantly he came to the inevitable conclusion.

This was Itachi's son, but he was not Itachi.

His fists relaxed themselves eventually.

Then there was another movement at the archway.

It was Kusabana's elder sibling. Sasuke started to tense again.

Kakashi noticed, but he kept his observations to himself.

The older boy took more after his father in terms of personality, hanging back and subtly sizing up the two strangers with alert, wary eyes.

Eyes that were a brilliant emerald green on the left, and a dark, suspicious onyx on the right.

Another blatant reminder that he was not his father, and should not be treated as a hated substitute for the elder Uchiha.

"Aa, here comes Kurohyou-kun."

Both boys lifted their heads at Kakashi's voice. It was apparent that they were too young to remember their earlier encounters with the silver-haired nin when they were but two months old, but the fact that he knew their names relaxed the older baby somewhat.

Kusabana clearly recognized his brother's name. The younger Uchiha twisted around and cried out to his elder sibling.

"Kuro!!"

Still a little cautious, the older boy approached, only to stop beside Kusa.

Sasuke could only stare from one child to the other.

They were completely identical in appearance, save for the slight difference in eye color and temperament. Healthy, peachy skin inherited from their mother, cheeks still round with baby fat, pink cherub's mouths, the small straight, patriotic nose that marked them as Uchiha, and their eyes—

They had Mikoto's eyes.

Large, dark eyes alit with innocence and in Kusabana's case, a hint of mischief, and it was a sight that Sasuke had never thought he would see again. But here they were, and there were two little boys with his mother's eyes.

_But they were his brother's sons. _

It was difficult for Sasuke to get past that damning fact, and he was struggling internally to come to terms with his discovery.

And it was then that Sakura heard the voices of her sons, and a little hassled by the bloody mess that was currently Naruto, she failed to make the connection between the children and Sasuke immediately.

But it wasn't long before she did.

Sasuke…and her sons… Oh god.

Eyes wide with panic, the kunoichi snatched aside the curtains with blood slicked hands from Naruto's newly repaired liver. She was greeted by the sight of Kakashi, who was still crouched down, patiently listening to Kusabana as he babbled unrelated baby sense to the elite Jounin. Stuck close to his animated brother was Kurohyou, and the older boy was still not done staring at his true uncle, who was staring back just as intensely.

Sakura froze.

"Kuro, Kusa!" She called out in swift reflex, her instincts and near deadly last experience with Sasuke kicking her fear into high gear. The anxiety in her voice was immediately detected by her babies as well as her teammates.

It did not take the two nin long to understand the reason behind Sakura's panic, and though her sons had no idea what was going on they were also beginning to react to their mother's fear. Kusabana appeared confused by the conflicting emotions between the adults whereas his older brother frowned, not liking the sudden tension in the room.

"Sakura." It was Kakashi. He had turned around upon hearing her voice, and was now regarding her calmly. "We were just interacting with your children. We are harmless."

Sakura wasn't very convinced. After all, Kakashi wasn't the one whom she was worried about, and so far, Sasuke had remained eerily silent.

But not for long.

The Uchiha lifted his flat gaze to his female teammate. Onyx clashed with blue, and the Uchiha was inwardly stunned by the fierce maternal protectiveness that he saw in her eyes. It told him, without words, that this was one female who would risk anything to protect her children, and for the briefest of moments, something unexpected flashed across his entire being, worsening his already upset sense of emotions.

Regret.

Once upon a time, this fiery, beautiful woman standing before him would have done anything for him. Now, she was the mother of his brother's _sons_. Looking at the rigid countenance of the female before him, Uchiha Sasuke could no longer repress the sense of regret that he had felt the moment he saw her when she had opened the door to let them in.

She would have made a good mother—just as she was right now, ever ready to defend her children if need be. But it was his own rash fury that had driven her away and to be so wary of him right now, and it was his own arrogance that had allowed his older brother to take advantage and move in on her, Konoha's sweetheart.

But now was a chance.

His blanked eyes revealed none of his thoughts.

"I don't harm children, Sakura." He spoke at last. When she did not relax immediately, he frowned and narrowed his eyes with mild annoyance. "You have my word. I will not harm my nephews."

The fact that Sasuke had openly acknowledged the twins stunned Sakura and it clearly showed. Then, because she knew just how important Sasuke regarded his family ties, she was promptly reassured that he would keep his word. At last, she nodded, her eyes filled with something that could almost pass as silent gratitude.

"Saa," Kakashi broke the silence, pleased that he did not have to intervene between his two conflicted students. "Are you confident enough to return to healing Naruto now, Sakura?"

The kunoichi nodded, and then wordlessly retreated behind the curtains, resuming her healing of her blonde friend.

* * *

When he opened his eyes and saw Sakura, Naruto thought that he had died and gone straight to heaven.

Literally.

Despite the fact that she had brunette hair and blue eyes, Naruto recognized his heart's sister straight away. The blonde had no doubt that even if she was to be reduced to ash, he would have recognized her all the same. Despite the overwhelming sadness that he was now dead and could no longer become Hokage and do his friends and father proud, Naruto felt intense joy at seeing Sakura again. He missed her so much, and the past year and a half without her reassuring presence had ripped away a part of him that could smile and laugh and be the moron that he once was.

The blonde tried to move, but stopped abruptly when pain exploded across his senses. Was there supposed to be such torturous agony in the realms of heaven? He groaned aloud.

"Naruto!" Sakura had finally noticed that he was awake. "Don't move, baka!"

"Sakura-chan." The blonde croaked in a most undignified manner. Despite himself, he could feel tears gathering in his blue eyes. "I missed your scolding."

For a second, Sakura's own blue eyes dampened, but then she blinked them resolutely away and mock glared at her fox brother. "Shut up, Naruto. And stay still, damn it. Or you are going to get more than just scolding from me."

"Well, I missed your thumping too." The blonde smiled sadly, and Sakura's heart ached. It was obvious that Naruto had suffered, and it was all because of her.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," the kunoichi spoke wearily at last. "I wanted to tell you but shishou said that it would be better if you thought that I was dead."

Shocked pause.

For a moment, Naruto could not believe his ears.

What Sakura meant…

"W-wait!" He stammered. "So I'm not dead? This is not heaven?"

Sakura stared at the blonde as if he was crazy.

"You are not dead, moron," the female snapped irritably, slightly angered that he could think of his own death so easily. "You nearly lost your liver and got your intestines pulled out through your nose by Konan, but you survived. Kakashi-sensei brought you to me to heal because I was nearer than Konoha."

Then the most important fact hit Naruto smack on the face and it hit hard.

The poor blonde appeared stunned.

"You didn't die?"

The hoarse disbelief in Naruto's voice made Sakura flinch with guilt. She looked away from her fox brother's gaze, and nodded curtly.

Naruto was going to be so angry that he had been tricked, and Sakura knew that she would not blame him. She would have been furious herself if she was in his place and all Sakura could worry about was how this was going to ruin their friendship—

A wet, distinctly unmanly sob distracted her from her thoughts. Thinking that Naruto was hurt somewhere else she hadn't detected earlier, she lifted her head sharply, ready to heal in an instant only to realize a stunning sight.

Naruto was crying.

"Naruto-!!"

It was obvious that the blonde could hardly move, but still he forced himself to lift his hand towards her. Sakura grabbed onto him immediately, and he clenched his fingers tightly around hers.

"I'm just glad." The sight of his wet, joyful eyes was something that Sakura would never forget for as long as she lived. The kunoichi felt herself become a little teary as well, wondering how on earth she was so lucky enough to have such a friend. She clutched his hand tightly.

"I'm glad too."

* * *

Little Kusabana and Kurohyou really had no idea what to make of the odd, golden-haired man.

He was all wrapped up in the white strips of cloth that Kaa-san sometimes uses on the villagers that came around, he never moved out of bed ever since he had been brought in by the other two men two days ago, and he was _loud_.

Kurohyou had his misgivings towards this man who kept shamelessly hogging their mother's attention, but as usual, Kusabana was the first to scamper up to thoroughly investigate the blonde.

Sasuke and Kakashi had headed out at the crack of dawn to do a spot of training as well as scout around the area, and so Naruto had been happily talking to Sakura when her youngest toddled up to stare at him with huge dark eyes, pressing close to his mama almost shyly as he continued looking at the blonde. Kurohyou followed reluctantly, leaning against the other side of his mother's seated form.

Naruto's blue eyes softened when he got his first thorough look at the babies. He hid it quickly enough, of course.

"Heh…so who are these brats?"

He was promptly clipped on the head by his female teammate.

"Don't call my children that, you brat," the kunoichi snapped in swift reflex. Then her irritation melted away as she ran her fingers through Kurohyou's silky, raven hair.

"This is my firstborn," Sakura introduced, her eyes aglow with maternal pride as she nudged her eldest towards Naruto. "His name is Kurohyou."

Wary eyes stared at Naruto as he grinned reassuringly at the little one. The mismatched emerald/onyx eyes did not seem to stump the blonde, though he did lift a brow at the mention of the boy's name.

"You named him like his father, huh?"

Sakura nodded, and when a hint of a frown appeared on her fox brother's face at the mention of Itachi, she sighed inwardly.

"Would you rather I named my son after a ramen topping instead? Or a sushi roll?"

"Hey!! That was uncalled for!" The blonde mock scowled and a small smile appeared on Sakura's lips. Then he recovered and at last gestured vaguely to the other child. "What about the other rugrat?"

This time it was the kunoichi who frowned with exasperation. "My youngest is named Kusabana. Aren't you, my Kusa-kun?" She cooed softly to her baby, who was still raptly staring at Naruto as if he was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. Sakura looked at her best friend since her Genin years, her eyes shining with sincerity. "And I want you to be their godparent, Naruto."

Poor Naruto was so stunned by the honor bestowed upon him that, for a long moment, he simply could not react.

Uncertainly, Sakura continued to speak. "Since Sasuke is their uncle and Kakashi is like their god uncle already, not to mention that shishou already treats them like her grandchildren, and Jiraiya is like this perverted granduncle that nobody likes but is kind of useful having around…"

Sakura quickly realized that she was babbling. Naruto was her surrogate brother after all, and if he refused her Sakura really didn't know how she would react.

"Most importantly, if something were to happen to me, you are the one I would trust most to look after my sons."

Naruto started to look as if he might start crying anytime soon again.

Sakura tried to smile.

"What? Are you going to start weeping with horror now?"

Naruto sputtered, and then promptly recovered himself.

"Of course not!" He protested immediately. "I was about to say how your brats were probably going to grow up as stuck up as teme—" Sakura tensed and started to scowl, and Naruto managed a wobbly grin which stabilized quickly as he absently beckoned a curious Kusabana nearer. "But since they are my godchildren now, I will never let that happen."

Naruto's grin widened, eyes growing alit with possibilities.

"I will teach them to become Konoha's next best pranksters!!" With a gleeful laugh, he gave Sakura the thumbs up sign that was completely reminiscent of the Green Beasts of Konoha, and the kunoichi winced inwardly.

A completely frightening image of her darling sons dressed up like the two Taijutsu specialists with the most god awful fashion sense popped into mind, and Sakura's wince became a purely physical act.

If Naruto allowed that to happen, Sakura had no doubt that even Itachi would come after the blonde to gut him for messing with their children's minds like that. And she, too, would emerge from whatever hell or heavenly realms to haunt the blonde till kingdom come if need be.

And she told him so too, much to the blonde's chagrin.

"But Sakura-chan…!!"

"What?"

Naruto appeared completely serious now, but the glint of mischief in his sapphire blue eyes belied his faked behavior.

"Why did you give such a lousy name to Kusabana here? He's a bleedin' boy and he's definitely going to get laughed at when he grows up! What kinda stupid name is Kusabana anyways? That's just so girly and you might as well name him Ikebana and be done with!!"

By now, the little rugrat in question had already warmed up completely to Naruto and had even allowed him self to be carried up to sit on the bed beside the blonde. Even his brother had relaxed, if the way he kept glancing around for the other two nin and the fact that Naruto no longer reserved his whole interest was of any indication. Kusabana did not seem to realize that the interesting man with that clump of shiny hair that he was trying to reach for was doing something that he did best.

Making his mama very angry, that is.

As if on cue, the kunoichi twitched.

"NARUTO!"

* * *

The next few days proved to be extremely interesting for both the men and the babies.

Despite the aid of the Kyuubi within him, Naruto was still recovering quite slowly from his internal injuries. Sakura suspected that it was due to the extensive scope of his injuries that he was now healing at only a little above normal rate, as well as the fact that his body had exhausted itself working overtime to prevent him from dying those crucial first few hours before they got him to her and was just not replenished enough to accelerate healing.

And since there was no way Naruto could have anything more substantial than broth at the moment (much to the blonde's dismay), more often than not Sakura had to spend most of her waking hours tending to her weakened friend—

Which left the wellbeing of her two precious sons in the hands of the remaining members of Team Seven.

Sakura hadn't really been comfortable surrendering the care of her babies to her tardy, porn reading sensei and their broody uncle who happened to hate the twins' father to the very core. But then the loud yowls coming from behind her quickly reminded the female that there was a bigger, more troublesome baby to look after, and unlike her sons (most of the time), this one wouldn't stay put docilely and kept insisting on ripping off her bandages every time he thought she wasn't looking.

And so the harried female had all but shoved her children at her two healthy teammates, calling over her back all the instructions for looking after the twins before hurrying over and smacking the whining blonde over the head like a bad puppy. Naruto shut up quickly enough, slightly dazed from seeing stars and sighing to herself Sakura fired up her healing chakra again, determined to do her utmost in healing Naruto quickly so that he could return to the battle at hand bearing no form of handicap whatsoever.

Sasuke could only freeze in place when it finally occurred to him that he had to take care of his nephews. That was a big mistake.

Kakashi had no such problem. The silver-haired Jounin recovered quickly enough and before anyone could blink laid dibs on Kusabana—the least troublesome of the two.

Before Sasuke could even summon a proper scowl or comment about how underhanded he was acting, their squirrelly sensei had scooped up a cheerful Kusa-kun and started off towards the kitchen.

Happy, mischievous babies were a lot easier to look after and entertain than broody, distrustful ones. But maybe Sasuke wouldn't have that much trouble looking after the elder baby. He had lots of experience—in being broody, that is—though Kakashi wasn't sure if Sakura would be pleased if her eldest had learned how to scowl from his grumpy uncle.

Saa, the silver-haired Jounin managed a mental shrug, that was not his problem.

Besides, it was how Uchiha bond, and Kakashi sensed that both Sasuke and serious little man Kurohyou were going to need it.

Things would turn out well in the end, and if not—

Well, he won't be the one to have to face down an angry mama, that's for sure.

All's well that ends well.

* * *

If only that was easier said than done.

As Kakashi cheerfully made his way to the kitchen area with a chirping Kusabana, Sasuke was left in the living room with his eldest nephew.

They stared at each other, subtly sizing each other up.

Then Sasuke abruptly realized his next problem.

He had no idea how to handle the baby, nor had he had the chance to carry one before. Belatedly the frowning Uchiha wondered if transporting dogs and cats from one point to another by the scruff of their necks counted, and promptly decided against it. He was trying to patch things up with Sakura after all; somehow he just didn't see that handling her son like he would an animal would soften her wariness towards him.

In the end, Kurohyou solved the problem himself.

The baby toddled around the inwardly nonplussed Uchiha and headed straight for the kitchen, hot on the heels of his younger sibling and that tall odd man whom he didn't quite know. In the end, Sasuke had to trail behind the little baby as he made a surprisingly swift beeline for the small kitchenette, where they saw Kusabana propped dangerously on a table by himself whilst Kakashi had easily located the cooling porridge and was doling it out onto two separate bowls.

Then, as casual as you please, the silver-haired Jounin started to feed the curious baby under his charge. Kakashi was so slick about it too; as if it was a completely normal occurrence for the Copy nin to act like an idiot (although he sometimes does give that impression) he would do or make some funny noises that would in turn make Kusabana laugh—

Then as swiftly as only he could manage it, the Jounin would jam the spoon of porridge into the baby's mouth, unload the nutritional contents and then be out of there faster than a bat from hell.

Poor Kusabana didn't even know what hit him, and had been completely bewildered by this new feeding style the first time Kakashi did it to him.

Then the youngest Uchiha accepted and adapted quickly to the change; after all, he was hungry and that shiny plate on this man's forehead fascinated him. Maybe he could get closer later to have another go at trying to dent it with his little fingers.

Sasuke stared at Kakashi for a good long while. Was there anything he wasn't good at?

As if on cue, the silver-haired nin glanced over to look at uncle and nephew. Kurohyou was standing right by Sasuke, and having both Uchiha frowning subtly at him made a pretty…familial sight.

Kakashi gestured with his spoon.

"Don't just stand there and gawk. It's your duty to feed Kurohyou."

Sasuke's scowl worsened, but the raven-haired Jounin strode up to collect the tableware and porridge all the same. "Just when did you become such an expert in childrearing, anyway?" He mumbled as he turned around to look for his charge.

For a brief moment, there was no reply save for the loud thumping sounds that the enthusiastic Kusabana was making with his back of heels against the table. Sasuke motioned awkwardly for Kurohyou to come over but the boy remained where he was, his mismatched eyes filled with obvious reluctance. The oldest Uchiha in the room could only stare with disbelief as it became apparent to him that he had just been disobeyed, but before Sasuke could properly react, Kakashi spoke easily.

"I'm thirty-six years old, Sasuke, and a Jounin to boot. If I can't complete a task even a Genin could do I might as well kill myself." He popped another spoon of porridge into Kusabana's eager mouth. The youngest baby seemed to love porridge, judging by the way he devoured the food like a hungry baby bird. Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled at the sunny child. "And you are a hungry little man, aren't you?"

Sasuke twitched at the barely veiled jab at him, who couldn't even convince Kurohyou to come to him, let alone proceed to feed his nephew. Annoyed, he went to the baby instead. The spiky-haired Uchiha scooped up a small spoon of porridge and brought it before the child, and for a long moment Kurohyou just stared at him.

This situation was completely unbelievable. Here he was, about to coax his _brother's_ son to eat dinner. It was as if they were one big happy family again.

Inwardly, Sasuke could picture himself swelling purple with rage just thinking of his despised brother. Outwardly, he willed himself not to scowl and scare the baby.

He locked his own pure onyx orbs with the baby's exotic emerald/obsidian eyes.

"Eat." The older Uchiha spoke gruffly, nudging the spoon against Kuro's mouth.

Surprisingly, the baby opened his mouth obediently and allowed himself to be fed. Sasuke tipped the porridge into Kuro's mouth and little boy chewed and swallowed dutifully, one eye still looking at his uncle. Thankfully, he continued to eat after that, voraciously inhaling the food just as quickly as his younger brother. Sasuke decided that his hunger must have overridden his natural instincts to be wary.

In the end, Kurohyou turned out to be a rather obedient child. Because his mother was busy and the twins had learned not to disturb her whenever she was behind those curtains, the older boy stuck close to his caretaker for the night, observing everything Sasuke did with the solemnity of an old man. Kusabana turned out to be a lot more hyperactive than his older brother, and in the end, Kakashi realized that he had gotten the wrong baby, much to the smug amusement of his Uchiha counterpart.

* * *

Sakura stretched leisurely and sighed with the satisfaction of a work well done as she stared at Naruto.

The blonde was currently out cold, in a deep healing sleep and she had already done all she could to help him along. His wounds were now recovering at his normal rate and if all went well he would be able to return to Konoha for orders in a couple of days. As much as the thought of her teammates leaving again saddened her, the kunoichi knew that now was a crucial time for all of them in Konoha. Sakura had no doubt that they would triumph over Akatsuki. The Leaf had stood tall for too long to be so easily brought down now.

Artificial blue eyes darkened.

There was only win or lose in a war, and if Konoha was destined to remain victorious then it meant that Akatsuki would fall in defeat. And Itachi—

Her self-imposed exile from Konoha had also meant that she had not seen her lover for more than a year and a half already, and although there were no news of skirmishes between him and Konoha Sakura could not help but worry sometimes.

How long more before it was his turn? The headquarters had been thoroughly destroyed. Zetsu was dead, and so was Konan. Sakura had tried not to think of it, but that left four more members to deal with, and how long more before his luck ran out?

Quietly worried, Sakura turned and crept out of the curtained area, not wanting to disturb Naruto's rest. Pulling the curtain shut behind her, she started to make her way towards her sons' room. It was nearly midnight already, and Kakashi had informed Sakura hours ago that both the babies had already been put to bed. The kunoichi assumed that both nin had already turned in for the night as well when she saw Sasuke sitting quietly in the darkened living area.

Sakura halted immediately.

Although she wasn't concerned that Sasuke would attack her again, her eyes still shone with mild apprehension as she stared at her children's uncle.

Blanked onyx met blue.

"How is Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"He should be fit for travel by tomorrow," Sakura answered.

The Uchiha nodded, and for a long moment neither spoke.

Thinking that was all, Sakura continued to walk towards the hallway

Then Sasuke broke the heavy silence once more.

"Did you really love my brother?"

He was never one to beat around the bush.

Sakura stopped in her tracks, and then turned to look at him once more.

His dark onyx gaze pierced into her emerald, refusing to let her go.

She nodded calmly.

His eyes narrowed.

"Then I suppose you would want to help him in this war."

Sakura knew what he was trying to say.

She shook her head once, the expression on her face oddly serene. Sasuke tensed.

"Itachi doesn't need my help."

The trust in her voice was not blatant, but quiet and confident. So was the look on her face. She believed in Itachi, and as furious as Sasuke was starting to get, there was something else that prevented him from completely losing grasp over his volatile temper.

A realization.

Suddenly it occurred to him in a most abrupt fashion that Sakura had _changed_.

Gone was the flighty, giggly little girl who had once mooned after him like a lovesick puppy and could not tell the difference between want and need. That little Genin female had been more hindrance than help, and on more than one occasion he had irritably snapped out the truth to her face too, wanting nothing better than for her to leave him the hell alone. But she never did give up no matter how harshly he tried to shove her away—until he finally defected from Konoha, of course.

That childish perseverance had matured into something else, and it was only now that he realized it. The silly little girl from so many years ago had become a beautiful, accomplished kunoichi; no longer were there loud, often embarrassing proclamations of love and eternity, her emerald eyes were now quietly watchful like those of a mother lioness as she carefully guarded her cubs and patiently awaited for her mate's return with unwavering faith.

Itachi.

Onyx eyes darkened with resentment.

It wasn't fair.

Sasuke fought the urge to clench his fists. He stared hard at her.

"You have changed."

Sakura shook her head slightly.

"No. I grew up." Her voice was soft in the semi-darkness, but still he could easily detect her pity for him, this boy who was so caught up in his past that he had failed to notice that those around him had grown up, moved on without him.

For a long moment, Sasuke could not react at all. It was as if he had just been slapped awake by her, as if he was finally seeing just what he had let go those many years ago.

Quietly, Sakura started to move away again. Sasuke appeared to be off in his own little world and the kunoichi was anxious to look in on her babies.

"He will never care for you, you know."

His voice was tinted with growing anger—her pity had not sat well with him at all, and he was lashing out in retaliation.

She was not reacting to him though. The young mother knew the truth even if Sasuke didn't. Itachi would never 'care' in the conventional way, but by protecting her and their children he had showed that he wasn't as indifferent to their relationship as she had first thought. Sakura wasn't about to tell Sasuke that, though.

She did not turn back to look at her sullen teammate again. She already knew what she would see. Pale features twisted with fury, eyes dark and turbulent and filled with the intent to hurt.

"It doesn't matter." Her voice was composed. "I care for him, and that's enough for me."

"Then you are a fool."

Sakura was not willing to get into a fight with Sasuke over the one topic that he was clearly so unhealthily obsessed with. She chose to walk away instead.

"Good night, Sasuke."

"This doesn't change anything." The Uchiha's voice was purposely flat but despite his best efforts she could still detect the slight tremor. The anguish from so many years ago, the helpless rage and powerlessness. "The existence of your children does not change a thing…_Itachi will still die by my hand_."

Sakura closed her eyes momentarily. In a single night, Itachi had taken away Sasuke's clan, family, and everything that he had come to hold dear. And now, the younger Uchiha would do the same to her own children; nothing would appease him until he took away their father, and for the life of her, the kunoichi could not find it within her self to blame the spiky-haired male.

What goes around, comes around.

Sasuke would not rest until he had his revenge.

"I know."

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Ah, I went back and fixed that little date error (4th June instead of 6th June) on my A/N on Chapter 10. That was my fault, obviously. Editing the chapter during 4 a.m. in the morning is not a very smart thing to do, I suppose, huh? Anyway, much thanks to Celira and Illicit Memory for alerting me to my mistake, and chapter 12 will be out during this weekend as well.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I hope that Sasuke's interaction with his nephews were justifiable. He was stunned yes, and he was angry but he didn't blow up at the twins because he _couldn't_. They reminded him too much of his own mother. He hadn't seen Mikoto for so long, and evidently both Kurohyou and Kusabana had features that resembled their late grandmother. He still could not, _would not_, reconcile with the fact that Sakura had sons with his hated brother, but he couldn't seem to treat the toddlers with the same loathing that he reserved solely for Itachi, either.

Poor Sasuke. As you can see, he is in a bit of a pickle. Here were the newest members of his clan, but just looking at them hurt him.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Sasuke is a fire specialist, even if his primary chakra nature is that of electricity. He is an Uchiha after all, and that clan is known for their extensive knowledge of fire jutsu. Talk about being full of hot air, eh?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Naruto finally reunites with his Sakura-chan, and I figured that he would be the type to crack lame jokes to diffuse a potentially touching/mushy situation. He made fun of Kusabana's name, and probably paid dearly for that, thanks to one overprotective mama. For those who don't understand what was going on, Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, a graceful, elegant practice mostly learnt by women. So basically, Naruto is teasing Sakura for giving her son such a girly name.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

On a totally unrelated note, does anyone notice how the plot of Speed Racer suspiciously resembles that of Matthew Reilly's Hover Car Racer? Well, I don't even know if anyone of you here have heard of Matthew Reilly before, but still…

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: **Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** FallenTenshi, ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6438

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 12/05/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 12

* * *

"Sakura-chan, we will come back soon to visit!"

It was just a little past dawn the next morning and already Team Seven was ready to move out. Naruto was still a little weak though, but he was finally fit for travel and Kakashi wanted him back in Konoha as soon as possible. Very soon, news of Konan's death would travel to the Akatsuki, and the silver-haired Jounin had no wish to be caught unguarded if they chose to retaliate right away.

And so against Naruto's very wishes, they were going to leave Sakura's little sanctuary and return to Leaf straightaway. By now Tsunade was aware that Team Seven had made a stopover at her student's place, as well as the desperate reason behind it. If there had been a choice Kakashi would not have risked exposing Sakura and her children to the shinobi world in the first place, but as it was, Naruto had been in a life and death situation and badly required Sakura's healing expertise. Beside, the situation didn't turn out as bad as it could have been. Naruto was simply overjoyed that Sakura was alive and Sasuke didn't seem to mind overly much that he now had two nephews to add to the Uchiha clan either.

According to Kakashi, things could have been a lot worse.

Sakura stood by the doorway of her modest home and took a good, long look at her teammates. Kakashi was standing beside Naruto whereas Sasuke had decided to wait for the two at the village's gates, obviously eager to get moving as soon as possible. After last night's encounter, the raven-haired male was understandably reluctant to maintain any sort of prolonged contact with Sakura and her children. The Uchiha had made it painfully clear that, while he would not transfer his anger onto her or the children, it did not mean that he had clean forgotten about his plans for vengeance.

The kunoichi hid her feelings of apprehension well and smiled at her blonde best friend and Genin instructor instead.

"That would be great, but I doubt that shishou would want you to drop by here all the time."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, much to Naruto's disappointment. Before he could ask why, the silver-haired Jounin spoke.

"Sakura is supposed to be in hiding. At the moment, you are a very high profile individual whom our current enemies are doing their best to track. You will lead the Akatsuki here if you are not careful."

Poor Naruto looked properly horrified.

The reason behind Sakura and her children's staged deaths had been thoroughly explained to both Sasuke and himself a little earlier on. The Uchiha had confirmed the sinister secret behind the Mangekyo, and both younger Jounin males had been thoroughly sickened by how far Madara was willing to go in the search for power. The deadliest of monsters weren't the tailed beasts, but those possessing two legs and were humans. It became even more obvious than ever that Madara was the main instigator behind this war, and most importantly of all, the unnatural immortal had to be brought down before anyone else to ensure that he did not bring even more destruction and chaos to the world.

"I will never lead the enemy to Sakura-chan's doorstep!" Naruto denied immediately. Then he became thoughtful. "But I suppose it would be safer to wait until everything is settled down…"

Kakashi nodded in agreement, and the blonde looked mournfully at his best friend, not really sure just when he would get to see her again.

"Sakura-chan, please take good care of yourself, Kuro-kun and Kusa-kun, alright?" Earnest blue eyes stared at the kunoichi. The babies were still fast asleep, seeing that it was still so early in the morning.

Sakura's smile widened slightly.

"Baka. You are going to be at the front lines of war and you ask me to be careful?" The brunette female scoffed lightly. "You be careful, Naruto." She looked to their Genin sensei for help.

"Kakashi, please look out for Naruto. Don't let him do anything stupid," Sakura added as an afterthought.

"Hey!! I don't do stupid things!"

"I will try, but I can't promise anything."

"Thanks, Kakashi, and you know that's more than I can ask for." Both nin ignored the grumpy blonde between them, eyes dancing with amusement.

"Sakura-chan!!" Naruto whined shamelessly, though inwardly glad that there would be no tears in this parting.

"Come Naruto, it's time for us to go."

"But-but-but!!"

"Naruto." It was Sakura this time. The look on her face was startlingly confident and serene, and looking at it proved to be a shock to Naruto's senses.

Sakura had really grown up.

"We will see each other again, I promise." The kunoichi spoke gently. There was a gleam of sadness in her eyes, but her smile was warm and genuine. "Don't die."

At that Naruto puffed up. It was the only course of action he could choose besides bursting into tears. "O-of course I won't die!! I still have to fulfill my promise to protect you and those two rugrats of yours! "

Sakura twitched, and then surged forth as if to pound the insolent blonde for giving her darling children such undeserving nicknames. Cowed, Naruto immediately squeezed his eyes shut to prepare for the worst, namely a flying start on the journey back to Konoha.

What he received was a tight hug as the kunoichi drew the stunned male tightly against herself.

"Take care, Naruto." Her voice was a fierce whisper, and before he could react her arms loosened and she stepped back. Sakura nodded as Kakashi.

"You too, sensei."

It was such a long time since she had addressed Kakashi so respectfully, and the silver-haired Jounin nodded subtly.

There was nothing else to be said.

Within the blink of an eye, the remaining males of Team Seven turned and leapt soundlessly into the trees; the beginning of their nonstop three-day journey back to Konoha.

* * *

Sakura would not see Naruto or any other Leaf nin for the next one year.

The war against Akatsuki continued in earnest, but in the tiny little civilian village in Nami, peace reigned. At least, most of the time.

Once in a while, there would be small groups of nin who would come to make trouble but for some reason or another they never stayed for long. The village was always grateful for such small mercies, though there was no way they would ever know that the reason for the hasty retreat of the nin would be due to the discreet interference of a certain healer.

Sakura continued to maintain contact with her country, occasionally reporting back to Leaf regarding the general information around Kiri and Nami no Kuni. Kumo appeared to be preparing for something, though, and from what she gathered, there seemed to be the beginning of some unrest over at Iwa as well. Konoha was put on guard but mostly continued to look for the Akatsuki who had been whittled down to only four members. There were no new recruits; whereas Konoha was concentrated on hunting down the members of the terrorist organization, Suna had been hard at work bringing down S-class nukenin who had the potential to join the ranks of the Akatsuki.

Naruto sent messages via Gamakichi at least once a month, mostly to enquire about how she was doing with his godchildren as well as to complain about how the Akatsuki seemed to have gone to ground, making it impossible for them to be tracked. Sakura had been secretly relieved over the news, as well as the fact that all her friends and close ones back in Konoha appeared to be safe and sound.

Kurohyou and Kusabana grew quickly under their mother's watchful eyes. The babies were proving to inherit their parents' intelligence and genius, if the rate they were learning at was to be of any indication.

By twenty-two months of age, both Kusa and Kuro had already taught themselves how to speak. Not just one or two words, mind you, but completely perfect sentences. The twins may appear to have wholly different personalities, but if nothing else, there was one particular trait that both shared: curiosity. Oh, they did normal things like coloring and playing with toys and sometimes even squabbling amongst themselves as well of course, but their eyes were always watchful of everything happening around them and held the gleam of curiosity far beyond that of any normal two year old.

Sakura was not disconcerted by her babies' apparent intelligence; on the contrary, she nurtured and gently encouraged the children's questions and innocent inquisitiveness, teaching them successfully to read by the time they were twenty-six months old and starting them on writing at two and a half years of age.

By then, one of their most favorite books to read was not among the colorful and illustrative folklores and tales that their mother had procured for their reading pleasure, but the dictionary, of all things. The thick book was always lugged around by one or the other of her toddlers, and flipping through the treasured pages seemed to be one of their most favorite pastimes to do, other than pestering their mother for cookies and rolling around the backyard outside like a pair of romping puppies.

Well, mostly it would be Kusabana who would be doing most of the rolling around. His older brother possessed a more sedate temperament, in contrast to his boisterous otouto, and often preferred to sit under a shady tree to watch his sibling's silly antics, though occasionally the elder boy could be enticed to join in the fun. The villagers knew of the boys, and most were charmed by the two toddlers. They were unusually protective of their mother too, and now that they were old enough to be aware, even the happy-go-lucky Kusabana would turn wary eyes upon any villager whenever they stepped into the house to see their mother. But the most intense of scrutiny would be reserved for people like them, who had this pulse of raw energy that the villagers seemed to lack.

Nin.

The passing nin were unaware of Sakura's kunoichi background; she always took great pains hiding her chakra and using only the traditional methods of healing that would not expose her as a medic-nin. Surprisingly enough, her twins could easily sense chakra, and whenever there was a shinobi around, her sons would stick firmly to their mother's side like persistent barnacles, observing and staring at the ninjas with solemn gravity.

It became more and more obvious to Sakura that the ninja heritage of her children was beginning to show, even at such a young age. However, the kunoichi was quick to decide not to teach the boys any ninja arts yet. They were still so young after all, and if anything else there was simply no hurry to force them to step into the savage world of the shinobi. Sakura herself had been born into a civilian family, and had only started learning ninja-related studies when she was entered into the Academy at age six. And she had turned out just fine, too. The kunoichi really had no doubt that her sons would excel just as well as she had even if she were to choose not to immerse them in principles of chakra manipulation and basic taijutsu right now, as most prestigious clans would have with their young the very moment they began to show promise to becoming a shinobi.

There would be time to learn, but now was not it. Playtime was equally important after all, and so was childhood. Sakura was determined that her children's development, be it mental, physical or emotional would be equally nurtured. Already both Kurohyou and Kusabana had proven that they had the sheer intelligence that marked them geniuses. Sakura was just as certain that their chakra abilities, as well as physical power, would one day be on par with their father's, if not even more powerful. So now, the most important thing was for Sakura to teach her sons the value of compassion, as well as how it wasn't wrong to care for others and to protect their most precious people.

Sakura refused to make the same mistake that the Uchiha clan had once foolishly made with Itachi. Her babies were made of flesh and blood; they were not heartless, emotionless machines and should not be treated like such. She would carefully nurture their humanity, and she was completely determined to make this new generation of Uchiha into nin who would make Konoha proud.

Her sons were growing to resemble Itachi with each passing day; the baby fat from infancy melting away slowly to reveal prominent physical features that marked them Uchiha. Their little noses were sharp and straight, long, almost feminine eyelashes were sooty against slanted feline eyes, high delicate cheekbones passed down from generations of high clan nobility, and last but not least the baby fine, raven hair.

Kurohyou had his cropped medium short and shaggy because long hair made the baby fuss something fierce, and after a few experimentations the older child ended up with a boyish hairstyle that reminded Sakura somewhat of the late Akasuna no Sasori. Kusabana, on the other hand, was perfectly content with his own hair. In fact, the toddler adored his own silky raven locks so much that he too had kicked up a fuss when his mama had attempted to trim his hair to something more manageable. To Sakura's exasperation, little Kusa would not allow her to bring the pair of scissors anywhere near him, and in the end the young mother had promptly given up. After all, she was simply no match against that particular pair of dark, teary eyes and she knew it. And that was how her youngest son ended up with hair so long that it touched his lower back. Sakura could only imagine just what Naruto was going to say when he next saw Kusabana again.

Probably some insulting wisecracks about her son's gender again.

Emerald eyes warmed with bittersweet amusement as she thought of her friends, but quickly darkened again when she thought of her lover, the father of her children.

It had been so long since she last saw him, and she supposed that it was a good thing that she still had not heard of any news involving him so far. It meant that he was still alive, and for that alone she was thankful. She knew not where he was now, or what he was doing, but she just hoped that he would choose the right path. Their sons may still be young now, but already they were starting realize that there was an oddity in their family. Why did other families have a mother and a father and they didn't? Didn't they have a father as well? If so, where was he now? Why wasn't he here with them?

Kusabana had asked the questions just a few days ago, and it had been all Sakura could do not to get upset.

Her babies were only a little under three, and already they wanted to know the whereabouts of their missing parent.

In a situation like hers, most would have lied. After all, what child would want to know that their father was an S-class criminal, listed in the bingo books of all five great countries and had been the murderer of his own clan?

But Sakura could not lie.

Just as she had always regaled her sons with tales of adventures and comradeship consisting of their Uncle Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi, as well as their Tsunade obaa-san and a certain white-haired pervert, stories and dreamy descriptions of Konoha—their true birth place. Sakura had done it to ensure that her sons would grow up knowing just where they truly belonged, as well as the people whom they should regard as closely as family, maybe even more.

She told nothing but the truth, each and every characteristic of her precious people memorized by heart as she told her enraptured sons just what they were like, how they would behave, and the humorous situations that they sometimes landed themselves into. She made it sound as if Naruto, Tsunade and the rest of the Konoha nin were living just around the corner and made sure that her sons remembered the moral behind each and every one of her tales, just like the way she herself had learnt.

Loyalty. Honor. Perseverance.

Love.

In that exact same manner, Sakura proceeded to tell her children about their father.

Your father's name was Uchiha Itachi and both of you took a lot after him in terms of appearance. He's a very powerful shinobi, and one day the two of you would be just as powerful as he is. He came from a very large family, and he was the smartest member in his clan…

To her relief, her sons had appeared satisfied with the brief information that she had imparted to them. At least for now.

She didn't show how affected she had been by their question until long after they had been put to bed, though.

Of course she wasn't this melancholy all the time. Life revolving around the twins was just too hectic (and oftentimes joyful and even somewhat entertaining) to allow for long periods of depression. It was only when she had a rare moment of spare time to herself that her heart began to yearn fiercely for its soul mate. She could still remember, as if it was just yesterday, the feel of his body against hers, his heat surrounding her completely, the way his hair had felt under her fingers, his unique, addictive scent of clean rainwater as it washed across her senses…

Blue eyes turned bleak with silent longing.

She missed him so much.

* * *

The end of the unofficial war against Akatsuki came sooner than most would have expected.

Five months after Konan's death, Pein took matters into his own hands. The pseudo leader of the Akatsuki attacked Konoha with all of his six forms. It had been a last ditch effort to retrieve the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, and the Rinnegan wielder had badly battered the Leaf's many defenses, _all by himself_.

By the time Tsunade arrived with Jiraiya and the rest of Konoha's best to confront the perpetrator, the damage had already been done. Chuunin, entire teams of young Genin and even some unaware Jounin lay dead as Pein battled against Naruto and Sasuke with cold, clinical moves and precise, methodical strokes. The 'Leader' had been merciless; all who wore Konoha's insignia and who had been unlucky enough to cross his rampaging wrath were promptly and easily eliminated without thought, and despite all of Team Seven's intense trainings, Naruto and Sasuke were sadistically beaten to within an inch of their lives before the rest arrived in the nick of time.

It was obvious to Sakura that Pein had been extracting his revenge; she always had the niggling suspicion that the relationship between the cold blooded Rinnegan wielder and his beautiful partner went far deeper beyond the surface—and she was right.

In the end, it took the combined efforts of Jiraiya and Tsunade, not to mention a handful of Konoha's S-class Jounin to subdue the insanely powerful nukenin. His six different bodies were destroyed one by one, and the Gama sennin even had to summon his destroyer frogs in an effort to contain the growing mayhem in the village. They failed to capture Pein alive, unfortunately. After hours of fierce, desperate combat, the nukenin died under Jiraiya's hand. Pein had chosen to be killed by the one man whom he had respected the most, and by then the nukenin had been a bloodied and badly injured mass of flesh and bones. Grimly, Jiraiya had made his death a quick one.

And now, with the exception of Naruto, all the Sage Sannin's students had died before himself, their deaths all caused by him, be it directly or indirectly.

Minato had sacrificed his life to put the Kyuubi into his son's navel, the seals he had used taught by Jiraiya. And now Nagato was gone as well, as was Konan and Yahiko.

There was no time to waste over regrets, however. The Frog Sage had to make sure that the badly wounded Naruto did not follow them as well.

Naruto survived, of course. And so did Sasuke. Tsunade's medical expertise as well as the fact that they were near Konoha's hospital ensured a continuous supply of fresh medic-nin whenever the previous batch ran out of chakra to heal the extensive injuries of not just the members of Team Seven, but those who had been caught in the crossfire during the intense battle. The chaotic aftermath of Pein's invasion had been devastating. Four entire teams of ANBU had been killed with another five teams temporarily incapacitated. Worst still were the deaths of six teams of Genin who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, together with their Jounin instructors who had went down fighting to protect their students. Adding to the fatalities were the eight pairs of Chuunin guards, and the number of deaths piled up to a horrifying fifty-six, not to mention the scores of nin and civilians who were badly injured and may need weeks, and some even months, before they could recover enough to be put back on active duty.

Tsunade estimated that left at most seventy-five percent of their forces fit to undertake missions and see to Konoha's defense—they had been hit hard from just a single attack. It was a grim situation, and the village council had called an immediate meeting with the two Sannin the very moment they could manage it. The elders raged and argued over this calamity until Jiraiya calmly mentioned that things could have been a lot worse had the Akatsuki chosen to attack all at once.

That shut the councilors up for a good moment, much to Tsunade's relief.

Then after a long and drawn out discussion, the elders came to a final decision.

The hunt for the Akatsuki would continue.

There seemed to be an increasing amount of unrest in Kumo and Iwa, however, and therefore Konoha's defense had to be beefed up. This painful lesson from Pein had served to make everyone aware of just how lax the Leaf had become after the Third Secret Ninja War against Stone, and things had to change. For the moment, mission quotas would have to be reduced until the injured nin could get back onto their feet. Genin exams have to be held again as soon as possible, and the date for the Chuunin examinations held in Suna would have to be pushed forward as well.

It was true that the situation was very grim at the moment, but Konoha would survive just like it always had. After all, they had seen worse during the Kyuubi attack and had weathered past three Shinobi Wars. What would come next had nothing against those desperate times so long ago.

Besides, things would look up soon.

Though Akatsuki remained as the biggest threat to Konoha at the moment, they had been whittled down to only three members. It was a victory as far as Konoha was concerned and they would not stop until the Crimson Clouds was completely annihilated.

It would only be a matter of time before this deadly game of cat and mouse was up.

* * *

Months after Pein's kamikaze attack on Konoha, the Leaf-nin were beginning to realize that it was easier said than done trying to locate the whereabouts of the remaining Akatsuki. Not even Jiraiya's extensive spy network could weed out any leads, and it was proving to be impossible to destroy the terrorist organization, even with their ever-ready teams of Jounin.

They were at a stalemate. Akatsuki needed the Kyuubi within Naruto, and Tsunade was certain that they would reveal themselves soon.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, but in the end the Hokage's theory proved to be on the dot, much to Naruto's impatient chagrin.

Only, it wasn't completely like they had expected.

It came in the form of a message, delivered by a terrified civilian to the Hokage tower.

The poor man was so frightened that he could not even remember his own name, let alone the physical appearance of the person who had given him the piece of paper to deliver.

And within the deceptively innocent piece of paper, written in a precise, even script, were directions. Directions leading to the location of the remaining Akatsuki, as well as the eight sealed bijuu. And then there were the instructions.

Cryptic instructions that thoroughly explained the power of the Uchiha, as well as how to defeat their powerful jutsu.

Both of them.

The message stunk heavily of a trap, but still there seemed to be a modicum of truth within the carefully penned words. Jiraiya's spies had confirmed that the new Akatsuki hideout should be roughly between Iwa and Konoha, and so it was highly possible that Uchiha Madara and his two remaining members might be hidden somewhere near Takigakure like the missive had indicated.

But who had sent the message?

Morino Ibiki's star disciple was called in to aid. Yamanako Ino's clan techniques were priceless in cases like this, and a brief 'Shintenshin' on the hapless villager revealed a most unpleasant memory of razor sharp teeth, immense killing intent, and a shark like appearance.

Hoshigaki Kisame.

Suddenly, this strange twist of events made everything just a little clearer.

Could it be that the Kiri nukenin had finally had enough of this farce of an organization? The great Akatsuki was now a mere shadow compared to its powerful, terrorizing self in the past. There was no relief in being a fugitive, after all, forcefully hunted down by two great countries and slowly but surely being eliminated one by one. Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, Zetsu, Konan, and Pein had already been taken down by the nin of Leaf and Sand. It should be obvious by now that to insist on remaining in Akatsuki would only lead to one grisly end: Death.

Could it be that the dynamics between the remaining members of the Akatsuki had become so tense now that their goal for world domination was becoming further and further away?

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

Coincidentally, the final battle occurred on the eve of the twins' third birthday.

After a long discussion, Leaf and Sand finally agreed to send their combined teams to the location that the message had dictated. It was a huge risk that they were undertaking, but there had been no leads so far and both countries were eager to see to the end of the Akatsuki once and for all. They were so near to their goal, with only three members left and if Hoshigaki Kisame's intent to pull out from the organization was as genuine as he had revealed, they would only have two Uchiha left to deal with.

Suna and Konoha were confident of their success, especially now that each weakness of the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan jutsu, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu and Susanoo had been thoroughly explained and debunked in the mysterious message. The way to defeat the powerful jutsu would be completely unorthodox, but if they could survive the initial onslaught of the attacks, victory would most assuredly be theirs.

Nin from both countries converged and regrouped in the newly overthrown Amegakure, and then as one made the move towards Taki, the hidden village of the Waterfall. The Godaime Kazekage, his powerful siblings, and his teams of elite Jounin, as well as the Godaime Hokage, her teammate, and Konoha's best warriors readied themselves for anything that might happen.

Madara was an immortal after all, and though it was speculated that he could be killed, they were not too sure just how strong the Uchiha was, not to mention his prodigy, Uchiha Itachi.

The large, widely spread group arrived near Taki by mid morning, having used the cover of night to travel soundlessly and undetected across different territories and terrain. Surveillance teams sent to scout out the area confirmed the location of the Akatsuki hideout, as well as the subtle, almost undetectable pulse of demonic chakra coming from the area.

The eight bijuu.

Grim-faced, both Kage gave the command to commence the ambush, their strategists and loyal shinobi and kunoichi beside them as they all moved towards a single goal.

Come tomorrow, the Akatsuki would no longer exist.

* * *

An entire country away, Kurohyou and Kusabana woke up the next morning, both eager to celebrate their third birthday.

But it was as if something had changed. Their environment.

Everything seemed to have become a lot clearer, shades and colors thrown into razor sharp relief and—

Their eyes were blood crimson.

Sakura could only stare in stunned shock.

Her sons' bloodline limit had been awakened in their sleep, and the kunoichi could not believe what was going on.

And as the twin pairs of premature Sharingan stared back at her with innocent curiosity, Sakura could not help but feel the chill of premonition creeping up her spine.

What was going on?

* * *

That very night, Gamakichi popped into existence before Sakura.

With a chipper, Gamakichi-esque voice, the little frog proceeded to relay the message that Naruto had wanted Sakura to hear.

We have finally defeated the Akatsuki!! Uchiha Madara has been successfully vanquished; there are so many pieces of him now that we aren't really sure how to deal with him. Teme fought Itachi himself though, and he won. Itachi…chakra exhaustion…engulfed by own Amaterasu…could not get near the fire…let alone attempt to recover the body…

A faint buzz inundated Sakura's senses as Gamakichi continued giving his report about how there had been no deaths, but there were a great number of casualties all the same. Hoshigaki Kisame appeared to have deserted the organization and was nowhere to be found, and the tailed beasts were all sealed and to be taken to…

Sakura did not hear a word of the little frog's remaining message.

Emerald eyes glazed over.

Her knees went painfully weak, and she could not even cry. It took her awhile to realize that she was shaking—hard.

No. No. No.

Itachi.

Gone.

"_No_."

She moaned softly with grief and denial.

Her heart broke.

* * *

Kisame could only stare at the badly destroyed ruins of the grounds in Waterfall.

There was trampled foliage everywhere, evidence of violent jutsu being unleashed and rocky rubbles littering the area. The nin of Konoha and Sand had already left a long time ago, no doubt in a great hurry to properly dispose of the eight tailed beasts on their hands. Uchiha Madara's head had also been taken back to Konoha, the rest of his remains gathered and thrown into the black, engulfing flames of the Amaterasu in order to ensure that the immortal would never rise again.

And Itachi must have been defeated too. As powerful as the secret clan jutsu that both Uchiha possessed, they were immensely taxing on the body and ate away chakra at an alarmingly fast rate. Each subsequent usage of the Susanoo would serve to shorten the lifespan of the user, and really, as unbelievable as it was, all the Leaf nin had to do was to force the Uchiha into revealing their final techniques, and then hang tight and wait till chakra exhaustion took over.

It would be easy pickings for the two countries of shinobi after that, and that was exactly what had happened.

Quietly, the shark man looked around the badly battered ruins. It had been three days since the attack had ended and the legendary flames of the Amaterasu were still burning fiercely, hissing softly as they spread slowly across the landscape. The fire would not burn out for another four days and four nights, and Kisame was sure that by the time it finally extinguished itself there would be nothing left that would indicate that this was where Akatsuki had made its last stand.

It all seemed so ironic now. The Red Clouds had been borne for a seemingly noble cause at the beginning: to end bloodshed amongst the shinobi world as Pein had once firmly mentioned. He himself hadn't believed a single word of what the Rinnegan wielder was preaching of course; the income was good and he got to do what he does best and for that Kisame was in. He was rather certain by now that Itachi had joined the group to further his own means as well, to slowly gain strength and power, to test his capacity. But then the leaders got too greedy, wanting to try for world domination by using the bijuu as the power source behind their operations. They were only a group of nine people after all, trying to face against five great countries as well as the other smaller shinobi villages. It really was no surprise that Akatsuki had now come to such an inglorious end.

For the past year or so, they had been barely limping along, the organization resembling a dying animal desperately fighting to survive. Then Pein was brought down whilst trying to bring back the Kyuubi, and there were only the three of them left. By then, it became rather obvious that they would all die if they insisted on remaining with the organization, but unfortunately, Madara wasn't exactly all that sane about the matter. The immortal stubbornly maintained that he could bring down Konoha alone, his hatred for his own country clearly overriding all sense of caution and self-preservation.

Itachi too, had been acting oddly as well, and—

Kisame detected a slight movement by the edge of his vision. Without a moment's pause, the blue-haired nukenin turned sharply and strode towards that part of the clearing immediately. What he saw made him gape with impressed shock.

Weary onyx eyes stared back with the same cold impassivity that never changed.

At the moment, Uchiha Itachi barely resembled his normal, immaculate self. He looked as if he had been chewed vigorously and spat out by some monstrous carnivorous creature, and was a complete bloodied mess, his clothes tattered with bruises and open wounds everywhere. Blood was smeared on his face and trailed past his lips, he was breathing oddly—

But he was alive.

"Son of a bitch," Kisame whispered in clear disbelief. "You are alive."

It really should be no surprise to the Kiri nukenin. After all, the raven-haired Uchiha had been the one to come up with this plan to fake his own death, not to mention to have Konoha eliminate Madara at the same time.

The immortal Uchiha had clearly gone insane. His body may have been ageless but humans were simply not meant to live for so long. The price for immortality was heavy; your soul, your conscience, your sanity. It was only recently that Itachi noticed the light of madness that gleamed eerily in the crimson eyes of his teacher, the crazy lunacy having been carefully hidden from the rest of the Akatsuki until now. It wasn't long before the genius prodigy of the Uchiha clan understood fully the sheer consequence of the Mangekyo's deadly power, as well as the true reason why it was forbidden.

The Mangekyo Sharingan took more than it gave.

Once upon a time, such knowledge wouldn't have mattered to Itachi. Even if the Mangekyo took more than it gave, its power was immeasurable and would make him one of the strongest shinobi in the world, if only for the briefest of moments.

But now, things had changed. The situation had changed more than three years ago and Itachi had been coldly, patiently biding his time until the right opportunity came by. Instincts were such powerful motivators, the overwhelming desire to ensure one's survival as well as the continuation of one's genetic bloodline so overpowering that it directly overrode all other obligations.

And no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, Itachi was but human, made of flesh and blood.

And so despite himself, the safety of his offspring, whom he hadn't even laid eyes upon yet, quickly became something that held an utmost importance to him. So was their mother, the beautiful pink-haired kunoichi whose intense emerald eyes were burned into his memory, no matter how hard he tried to erase her from his mind.

If nothing else, the past three years without the prolonged presence of his lover had proven that he was fatefully tied firmly to Sakura whether he wanted it or not. Killing her was not an option. She was the one person he was unable to harm physically, and despite the three years of separation, he still wanted his woman with an intensity that had never waned.

Indeed, this was how the mighty fall, and in the end he chose to accept it.

What a surprise; Fugaku had failed to kill off all shreds of emotion from his own son, after all.

And so he began to make plans to return to his petite lover—and their children.

But before he could do so the threat that was Uchiha Madara had to be neutralized permanently. The ultimate secret behind the Mangekyo Sharingan would have to be destroyed as well. The promise of true immortality was nothing but a delirious dream, Itachi had finally realized.

And he knew what he had to do.

The planning itself had taken a careful consideration of several unknown factors, as well as a blind gamble that Konoha would take the bait.

But Konoha had taken the gamble, and for once, Tsunade had chosen the right bet.

And now, Madara's Akatsuki was no more.

It was surprisingly relieving, as if an immense pressure had just been lifted off his chest. That lightening sensation made his extensive physical injuries seem a lot less burdensome.

Steeling himself inwardly, the Uchiha got to his feet slowly. Blood dripped sluggishly as he unfolded his lean form to his full height, but when he tried to take a step forward, his legs buckled.

Kisame stepped over and boosted his partner up immediately, and although Itachi did not show it, he was grateful for the help. His chakra exhaustion was still obvious in his lack of strength, but at least his motor function had been a lot better compared to three days ago.

His partner of nearly fifteen years understood him all too well. The Hoshigaki grunted, and then asked.

"Where to, now?"

Uchiha Itachi said the one word that Kisame would never thought he would say.

"Home."

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Uh, yes. I'm very aware that I had just summarily cut short the plot, not to mention skipped out on all the spectacular fight scenes. I feel that I have to apologize for that, since I had no intention of making a trilogy out of Curtain Call and spending a year or three dedicated to writing it, I figured that I would do the next best thing and try to explain what had gone on during the three year time skip and pray that I did not make a muck out of it for you readers.

Of course, I'm also well aware that canon-verse Akatsuki is probably going to be a lot harder to defeat than what I had shortly described, and it is also highly unlikely that Konoha and Suna would combine forces to hunt down the Akatsuki (that would be too simple and logical and thus not at all plot-worthy at all, not to mention that's not Kishimoto's style). But in my defense, I have to add that it has already been more than a decade since Team Seven's formation, and in that span of time, I'm sure that a lot of things had changed, and it's not really that hard to jump to the conclusion that Akatsuki is getting weaker, and that Konoha would eventually triumph over the Red Clouds eventually.

Anyway, enough of my pitiful whining and excuses. Giving lame excuses and explanations always makes me feel like slapping myself very hard on the face.

Once again, my apologies.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

And…after a few chapters' break, we finally get to see Itachi again. I dare promise ItaSaku interaction next chapter, so do watch out for that. To be perfectly honest, I really did consider being my usual evil self and ending the chapter without the very last section, where Sakura receives Gamakichi's message, but I decided that I should fear for my health and put in that little bit of Itachi and Kisame instead. So here we are. Chapter 12.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Kurohyou and Kusabana's development may seem very incredulous to most of us, I know, but they are born genii (plural for genius, for those who are unaware) and are thus very sharp and fast learners. Besides, it doesn't really seem that ridiculous if you consider Hyuuga Neji. Neji must have been only three years old when his father had agreed to die in his twin brother's stead, but the young toddler was clearly intelligent enough to know of what was going on around him, not to mention the brevity of the situation. He was a born genius too, and with that line of thought, Kurohyou and Kusabana's mental development are really not that outrageous, after all, if you think of it.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	13. Chapter 13

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6689

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 14/05/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 13

* * *

Life went on as usual, as it always does.

For the next few days, Sakura drifted through her chores, steeped in a haze of misery. Her children were well aware that something was wrong. Their mother appeared distraught for some unknown reasons, and when Kusabana asked about it, her eyes had clouded over with heartbreak as she stared at her concerned sons. Despite their relatively young age, their intuition was keen and their mother's distress, no matter how hard she had tried to hide it from them, had been quickly detected.

They wanted to know why their mother appeared to be in such emotional pain; they had never seen her behaving thusly before and this change clearly worried them.

Unfortunately, Sakura could barely tend to her own distress, let alone her sons' anxiety. She could only reassure them by giving them sad smiles and a quiet shake of her head, simply unable to tell them that their father was dead. Then, she would hurry out of the house to the gardens, intent on harvesting the medicinal herbs and avoiding the expectant gazes of her sons, not wanting to upset them further.

Not wanting to upset _herself_ further.

Now at the age of three, Kurohyou and Kusabana were rapidly shedding their baby fat from infancy and were beginning to look very much like their father.

Sakura was very sure that she would get over her grief eventually, but at the moment, it hurt to even look at her beloved children.

It had been almost an entire week since Gamakichi came in with the news of Akatsuki's crushing defeat, but for Sakura it was as if Time had not moved at all. Her lover had been killed by her teammate and her bleeding heart felt as if it had been ripped out of her chest. And there was no doubt that Konoha was celebrating their victory, their intense triumph at complete odds with her overwhelming grief. However, she could not blame Sasuke. This had been the only goal that had kept him alive and focused for his entire life, and she could not fault him for finally avenging his clan.

But that didn't mean it made her anguish any less intense. Itachi may have been a ruthless, clan-murdering S-class nukenin, but he was her lover. He was the other half of her self and she would never forget how different he was whenever he was around her, normally cold eyes quietly contemplative as he regarded her, callused fingers heartbreakingly gentle as he touched her.

What she would give for him to touch her again.

Her grief was so tangible that she was sure that she could choke on it, and every night when the children were fast asleep in their room…

She cried.

Itachi would never see their sons now, and her pain was scraped and raw whenever she realized anew that _she_ would never see him again.

But things had to change.

Her sons were getting increasingly alarmed over her melancholy and Sakura knew that she had to stop. At least, she had to pretend that nothing was wrong before their discerning eyes, already so astute at an age so young.

It was a lot easier said then done.

Oh, how she dearly wished to be as strong as she should be, standing tall and stoically bearing through her pain but she could not. She was weak and she knew it, but she had just permanently lost someone greatly important to her. She refused to be emotionless, inuring herself to pain and tears because that was just not her way of dealing with her loss.

It took great effort for her to pull through that very first day; she had decided to quit exhibiting her grief so openly before her children, and it was only her kunoichi training that had helped maintain her cheerful façade for her sons. Sakura was not sure if both Kuro and Kusa had bought her act though; her sons were stunningly perceptive when they wanted to be, but she tried her best.

The first step was always the hardest, Sakura believed firmly to herself but she made it through that first day with quiet dignity. After all, anyone would claim that it was impossible to die of heartbreak. Time may not be able to heal all wounds, but she would live. She had to be strong for her sons now, _their_ sons, the only legacy that Itachi had left behind. As she hustled the children to bed that night, a smile on her face and a bittersweet light in her eyes, Sakura could not help but feel mildly proud of herself.

But it was only a small victory.

If only she could stop the silent tears that were now flowing unchecked past her cheeks.

Even till now, she was simply unable to come to terms with the fact that he was gone. How could he have died? He was such a strong and powerful shinobi. How? It wouldn't have mattered as badly if he had decided to disappear from her life if it had meant that he would be alive and well, but no, he was dead and she was left broken and incomplete.

Blue eyes were glazed and hurt.

_Damn you, Itachi. You weren't supposed to die. _

Her breath hitched softly with distress, and she turned quickly out of the children's room. Sakura prepared to turn in for the night, it was getting late after all, and there were so many things to do tomorrow—

Then, there was a loud knock on the front door.

Sakura halted, and then frowned. The silvery tracks from her tears made her face gleam slightly in the semi-darkness, and hurriedly, Sakura wiped away all traces of her upset and started to hurry towards the entrance of her home.

At this time of the night, there must have been a medical emergency in the village for someone to come looking for her.

Sakura threw aside the locks and latches, and then pulled opened the door.

"Yes, can I help…you?"

Shock inundated her entire body.

Sakura could only stare at the sight before her with huge, disbelieving eyes and a paled countenance.

There was no way to tell just who was more surprised; Kisame or her.

For a brief moment, the blue-haired nukenin could only gape at the woman who had opened the door, but then he recovered admirably. Really, he should have guessed that Sakura was alive after all. Itachi had acted with such blatant disregard three years ago when Zetsu announced her death; he should have known that something was amiss. Now he had absolutely no doubt that his partner's twin brats were alive and probably running about somewhere here with their mother as well.

Kisame shook his head inwardly.

Itachi had protected his family, after all.

No wonder he had given the directions for them to return here.

The tall Kiri-nin flashed the stunned woman an exhausted, weary grin.

"Yo. Long time no see, little Leaf."

Sakura did not answer. She was too busy staring at Kisame's bloodied burden.

_He was almost unrecognizable. _

A thin arm draped across Kisame for support, his gaunt form was bloodied, and the Akatsuki cloak tattered beyond recognition. His eyes were closed as if in sleep, but his breathing was rapid and shallow, punctuated by terrifying rattling sounds coming from his lungs. His appearance was sunken, his body but skin and bones.

The past three years had not been kind to him.

_  
But he was alive. _

Sakura's breath hitched, and pain filled her eyes.

If this was a dream, then please let her never wake up.

Within the blink of an eye she was by his side, healing chakra flaring in her hands as she shoved copious amounts of her energy into his badly battered system. Her eyes closed as she fought her rising panic, and she had to will herself to remain calm as the results of her initial examination of his present condition became known to her.

So many internal injuries and broken bones, everywhere.

For the first time in days, an inner fire roared to life within her. She opened her eyes and turned her attention to Kisame, and it didn't take much for the taller male to see the growing determination in the little female's eyes. Also, Sakura did not fail to notice that Kisame looked rather haggard himself and appeared to be almost drooping from chakra exhaustion. It did not take long for her to deduce that the Hoshigaki had emptied his gigantic chakra supply transporting himself and his partner nonstop from Taki to Nami, not to mention that he had probably had to periodically inject large amounts of his energy into Itachi to stabilize his extensive injuries.

Gratitude flared in the eyes of the petite female, but now was not the time for her to show Kisame just how thankful she was to him.

The kunoichi stepped quickly into her home and opened the door fully for the two nin to enter.

"Come in."

* * *

Sakura really could not understand how on earth he was still alive after all the injuries he had sustained.

Broken ribs, broken limbs, massive internal haemorhaging, a gaping hole in his abdomen, another in the back, punctured lungs, damaged liver, bruised kidneys and a damaged eardrum. He was just as badly injured externally, and when Kisame brought him into her bedroom, it was all she could do not to break down in tears.

He was so badly injured, that for a brief moment, Sakura had no idea whatsoever just where to begin healing him, and this was definitely not the way she had pictured their reunion.

Sakura swallowed hard.

But he was alive, Sakura had to tell herself again and again to keep from falling into hysteria.

And at least he had kept his promise.

The kunoichi forced her upset away determinedly. The most important thing now was to make sure that he didn't die. The rest would come later.

Grimly, Sakura fired up healing chakra into her hands and went to work.

* * *

It was seven hours later when she finally managed to repair his most life threatening injuries.

Bones were set and healed, the internal bleeding stopped, the lungs drained and patched up, liver regrown, and the deep open wounds on his torso sealed and healed. His heart gave out twice, and she constantly had to pump chakra into his bone marrow to hasten blood production to ensure that his blood pressure did not bottom out as well.

It took all her energy to ensure his survival, but she did it in the end. By then, night had become dawn, and she was so drained that she barely had the strength to bandage his more superficial injuries as well as change the bloodied beddings. Her body was forcibly shutting down from her exhaustion and all she wanted to do was to faint.

But she was delirious with relief.

And now the tears came, dripping silently down her face. The crystalline droplets were completely different from the bitter tears from before, these were borne from sheer _joy_.

He would not die from his injuries, and her children would finally get to see their father.

There were still so many things for her to do, though, but her head felt so very heavy then and she was nauseous from the overuse of chakra. The room was rotating around her senses and she could not seem to make it stop. The female sat down unsteadily by the edge of the bed and closed her eyes woozily. Somehow, her head found its way to the unoccupied pillow beside Itachi.

Just for a little while, the badly drained female told herself strictly. She would rest for just a little while.

There was still Kisame to tend to after all, and her sons to feed…

Sakura fell into deep sleep within seconds.

* * *

Kisame had fallen asleep himself a long time ago, to be honest. He wasn't suffering from anything more than severe chakra exhaustion, after all, and that could be easily recovered by a good sleep.

What he really needed more had been food—and proper rest of course, and after he procured the former from the kitchen he had immediately bunked down in the living area to fulfill the latter, and the blue-haired nin had been snoring away peacefully for a blessed ten hours or so when he sensed an unknown presence enter the room.

To his knowledge, Sakura was still in the room tending to Itachi, and besides, this unknown person felt _different_. He could also detect the tiniest pulse of chakra, and because of that, the blue-haired nin decided not to react and to remain still as the presence crept nearer. No respectable hunter-nin would be careless enough to flaunt his presence in an unknown environment, and besides, Kisame couldn't sense any danger or killing intent whatsoever and whoever had just entered the room was making way too much noise just _breathing_ that he really doubted it was another nin.

Probably a villager who was dropping by to see the little Leaf, and if he remained still enough, maybe he would be ignored.

The soft pitter patter of small feet was loud in the silent living room, and Kisame could hear acutely as the person stopped in the midst of the living area as if looking for something. Then there were sounds of movement again, and this time headed towards him. The shark man cursed inwardly. He had been noticed.

Damn, he should have placed a genjutsu over himself. Kisame wondered if seeing nearly seven feet tall blue people were a common occurrence in Sakura's home. Somehow, he doubted it.

The sound of feet against floor became louder and louder, until it came to an abrupt stop before him. Still, Kisame kept his eyes resolutely closed, tensing subtly in preparation for a scream of horror or a shout of alarm. Maybe he could blend into the sofa if he stayed still enough, never mind that said couch was a milky cream in color and he was definitely not anywhere near that shade of pale—

He was poked hard on the cheek.

What the hell!!

His eyes flew open, ready to glare and give the offender a good poke as well, only with Samehada and—

It was a little boy.

Kisame could only gape.

Dressed in pajamas, the curious little guy appeared only about a little over three years old, and he had the signature raven hair and pure onyx eyes that made him a very familiar sight. Not to mention that little blade of a nose…

Good god, it was a mini-Itachi, only this little kid had hair so long it reached the small of his back.

Mini-Itachi proceeded to poke his cheek again with a curious finger.

Kisame forcibly restrained himself from cursing at the little brat. Looking around, he realized abruptly that it was already morning. No wonder the boy was awake as well. And where was the other one?

The little Itachi smiled sunnily at the nonplussed shark man, impressed onyx eyes looking at the large man with the dangerous aura currently lying on his living room sofa. He was exhibiting no fear whatsoever, not even when he saw the flash of razor sharp teeth that were distinctly _not_ humanlike.

Once again, Kisame could only stare.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. To think that his stoic, _paranoid_ partner could produce such a happy, careless son with no healthy regard for danger whatsoever.

It was simply mind boggling.

The dreaded finger came darting towards the Kiri-nin again, and since Kisame's methods of immobilizing the enemy would definitely hurt the little boy, the two hundred and fifteen pound man resigned himself to being attacked by the thirty-three pound child.

In reaction, the little boy let loose a soft, amused laugh.

Little Kusa didn't poke this time though, fortunately.

He just gestured curiously.

"So how come you are blue?"

* * *

Within the next fifteen minutes, Kisame was promptly introduced to the other boy as well.

Evidently, Chuckle's delightful (for the little boy only, that is) name calling had roused the attention of his sibling, Careful.

Now, since Kisame had no idea whatsoever what their real names were, he just called them as he saw them.

The second boy had heard the racket his younger brother was making and had come investigating as well. Padding slowly from the nursery to the living room, Careful remained a good distance away when he saw the big blue human occupying the couch. His wary emerald/obsidian eyes observed the situation before him painstakingly, and he stared unabashedly at the huge man who was currently tolerating his sibling's babbles and overwhelming curiosity.

It became glaringly obvious to Kisame that Careful resembled his father a lot more in terms of personality when compared to Chuckles, and although both children looked completely identical in every way, their slight difference in eye color, hairstyle (for some reason Careful reminded him of Sasori) as well as their startling personalities made it easy to tell them apart.

Eventually, Careful crept nearer, until he was right beside his little brother. The other boy appeared pleased to see him, and Kisame was starting to get the idea that nothing much could bring Chuckles down.

Other than for a hungry stomach, that is.

The growl was so loud that even the blue-haired nin was surprised by the sound though the boy merely grinned bashfully at him, completely patient enough to wait for his mother to wake up to prepare food for him. Careful, on the other hand, was not so willing to wait. If this unknown mountain of a man had decided to use their living room as a makeshift bedroom, then by golly he should make himself useful and help them look for food since Kaa-san had decreed for them never to attempt to make anything in the kitchen, even though the methods of preparing porridge, eggs, and fish appeared rather simple from his point of view.

Besides, Kaa-san needed rest if she hadn't woken up yet. She had been so pale and mysteriously upset that both boys had been immensely worried about her.

Granted, their mother had also instructed them never to talk to strangers whenever they were playing outside, but since they were technically still within the premises of the house, Kurohyou decided that they weren't exactly breaking the rules. The blue man had appeared rather dangerous at the beginning, but since he seemed to be willing to tolerate Kusa's incessant chatter Kurohyou figured that he couldn't be that bad, even though the strength of his aura had clearly alarmed the boy at first.

Honestly, this man had the largest aura he had ever seen before, easily fifteen times bigger than that of his own mama's.

And Kusa had just sauntered up like nobody's business to talk to the potentially dangerous man.

Kuro was going to have to remember to reprimand his idiot little brother never do something as stupid as that in the future, especially since he knew very well that Kusa was just as intelligent as himself, if only a lot more reckless and outgoing.

But for now…

Kurohyou looked to Kisame, and then spoke for the first time.

"Can you cook?"

* * *

It was late noon when Sakura finally woke up.

It had been so long since she had been so drained, and her whole body ached from her chakra overuse. She felt faint and dizzy and nauseous, but a bit of deep breathing helped and after awhile of remaining perfectly still Sakura felt confident enough to rise up shakily from the bed.

Her eyes felt gritty and strained as she opened them to look over at Itachi, but the kunoichi disregarded her own discomfort to check on the raven-haired male lying so very stilly less than a foot away from her. It was obvious that Itachi had not woken yet and would probably not do so for the next few days or so. His color was significantly improved, though, and by some stroke of luck, his wounds did not show signs of infection as well. The bandages would have to be changed though, not to mention her children…

Blue eyes widened.

Sakura glanced out of the window quickly, and promptly panicked as she was greeted by the rays of the setting sun.

She had slept an entire day away, and her sons—!

Sakura stumbled to her feet too quickly and vertigo overtook her immediately. She swayed weakly on her feet, pressing the heel of her palms to her temples and closed her eyes. When she was sure that she wouldn't collapse Sakura headed out of her room and towards the living area as briskly as she could.

The kunoichi had no idea what to expect. Her sons were definitely up and about by now. Had they prepared food for themselves? And what about Kisame?

"Oh god." Sakura had clean forgotten about the Kiri-nin. Even though she was aware that Kisame would not hurt her babies, her protective maternal instincts arose all the same, and she hurried her pace even faster.

And that was how Sakura burst into her living room, wide eyed and completely worried.

What she saw stunned her though.

There was Kisame, her two sons, and a large plate of cookies and biscuits. As well as glasses of half-drunk milk strewn around the coffee table.

It was a completely domestic scene, except the bloody shark man was standing upside down on her ceiling, apparently teaching her young sons a lesson in chakra control.

Sakura stiffened with growing outrage. Her boys were only a few days past three! They were not old enough to—

Even as she watched, Kusabana took a flying leap towards the wall nearest to him, giving a small, joyful yell as he did so. Sakura's breath hitched as her baby flung himself headlong into danger, and was about to cry out an alarmed warning, when her son successfully ran up four steps vertically before sticking himself perpendicularly to the wall like a barnacle.

Her protests died in her mouth, and then she could only stare as Kurohyou followed in his brother's footsteps, only in a more sedate manner. The older boy simply walked towards the wall and continued ambling up the side until he was on par with Kusa.

Sakura felt her knees weaken slightly as she recovered from her near scare. Then she quickly got annoyed, her exhaustion and frazzled nerves shortening her normally sweet temper.

"_Kisame_."

The shark man turned around towards the source of the hiss and—_oh boy, here comes the angry mama_.

But before Sakura could even tear into the tough hide of the Kiri-nin for endangering her sons (they were just too young for this!!), Kusabana spoke.

"Look, Kaa-san!" The excitement in the child's voice was simply unmistakable. And so was his awe and happiness. Even Kurohyou appeared rather pleased with himself. "I can climb walls! And Kisame-san says that we could even walk on ceilings like he is doing now if we practice hard!"

The mental imagery of her precious babies training upside down, losing control and plunging headfirst to the ground below ended with a most horrifying picture, and Sakura nearly blanched in reaction. It was really no surprise when she responded to her son's enthusiasm with a furious snap before she could stop herself. "You are not going anywhere near the ceiling, both of you."

Stunned silence.

Almost immediately, both boys deflated at their mother's testy tone. They looked like kicked puppies, and despite herself Sakura felt bad immediately for putting them down like that. She may have been stressed and currently overwhelmed by so many different emotions, but that was no excuse to react thusly to her sons.

"I'm sorry, Mother." Kuro's quiet apology nearly broke her heart as he came down immediately from the wall. His brother followed suit, hopping down the remaining feet to land miserably on the ground. "We won't do it again if you don't want us to."

Sakura felt like an ogre. One careful look at the sweat-soaked features of her two sons indicated that they must have worked hard for quite some time to achieve the ability of properly regulating their chakra against the wall. And with a single sentence she had just discredited all their hard work.

She swallowed, growing increasingly upset with herself. Chakra exercise like this wouldn't harm the kids after all, certainly not if they were properly supervised. And since they had already activated their Sharingan, wouldn't it be easier for them in the long run if they could manage their chakra better?

Sakura deflated slightly. Her sons were born to be exceptional shinobi; it should be no surprise that they would start learning early. Still, it was definitely too soon for her to let go…

Sakura's eyes softened.

"No." She spoke truthfully, reluctantly. "The two of you did well." Twin pairs of surprised eyes looked up at her. "I just didn't expect to see both of you stuck to the walls, that's all. I'm proud of the both of you."

Kusabana's face broke into a sheepish, little grin. Kurohyou's lips twitched into a small smile.

"You may continue refining your chakra control; it should be easier to start now than when you have to struggle with a much larger chakra reserve next time." Kusa whooped, and even Kurohyou appeared anticipatory. "But only when under supervision, alright?"

Both children nodded eagerly, and an impressed Kisame landed solidly back onto the ground with a casual back flip that had the boys staring with awe.

"I want to learn that too!!" Kusabana was the first to exclaim. Sakura sighed as her children wandered over immediately to that…_blue_ showoff. Belatedly, she wondered just how drastically her innocent little boys were going to change thanks to their prolonged exposure to Kisame.

The shark man easily promised the eager kids that he would teach them basic taijutsu one day before dismissing them to practice on their wall climbing once more. Then, he headed over to Sakura.

"Sorry." Kisame figured he owed the stressed, young woman an apology as well, seeing that his temporary charges had already offered their own to their worried mother. "They are good kids, though. Sharp as tacks, both of them. You did good."

Sakura could not help but flush slightly at the compliment. At the same time, pride for her children filled her. Her eyes warmed as she looked at the taller man.

"Thank you, Kisame."

The gratitude in her voice was apparent, and Kisame nodded in an almost embarrassed manner, not really doing well with this type of situation.

"Though I think you are coddling them too much." The blue-haired male observed even though it was obvious to the both of them that Sakura was thanking him for something else altogether. "And what's with that girly name for the younger one?"

Sakura started to frown, that awkward feeling of sheer gratefulness fading rapidly away to be replaced by irritation. Instinctively, she started to open her mouth to hotly defend her son's name but quickly realized that Kisame was just pushing her buttons again. She shook her head slightly, exasperated.

"Kisame…shut up."

In response, the blue-haired nin merely exposed rows of his deadly teeth in a grotesque grin. Then he turned serious.

"How's Itachi?"

At that question Sakura appeared a little gratified again. "I have healed many of his most serious injuries. He was badly dehydrated and completely out of chakra, though. He hasn't woken up yet but I think he will in a day or so."

Kisame nodded, not showing his own relief.

"Well," The tall shark man drawled with a small smirk as he looked over to see the boys' progress. Kurohyou was improving slowly but steadily, whereas Kusabana's improvement came in spurts and bursts as he slipped and slid sloppily up the walls. "Won't he be surprised to see his sons now."

* * *

Uchiha Itachi did not wake until two days later, and when he opened his eyes calmly, he was greeted by sheer darkness.

It was nighttime and he was in a foreign room, lying on a bed that he clearly did not remember getting onto.

It was sheer instinct that prompted him to gather what little chakra he had recovered to his eyes, but after the intense battle against Sasuke, he wasn't exactly certain if he was capable of activating the Sharingan again.

Using Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and Susanoo consecutively had taken its toll on his body; he was terribly weakened now and it would probably take weeks for him to return to his previous combat ready condition.

There seemed to be nothing as he pushed chakra into his eyes, the crimson light of the Sharingan failed to ignite as it normally did, but he was undaunted. He willfully shoved more of the energy through his optic nerves.

The pain was excruciating, but fleeting.

And then his entire vision was abruptly thrown into sharp relief.

The three tomoe emerged smoothly, and then turned bladed, as he called forth the Mangekyo. Perfected night vision was immediately granted to him, and methodically, he scanned his surroundings without moving an inch. The room itself appeared simple enough, and there seemed to be no immediate threat to his person. He relaxed slightly, and then turned to access his current condition.

His internal wounds were mostly healed and so were his broken bones. There was now no doubt to him that his miraculous healing had been the work of Sakura. Kisame had found her, after all.

His body still ached and throbbed unbearably from the residual effects of the powerful jutsu that he had unleashed as well as from his chakra exhaustion. He was badly weakened. His throat felt coarse as sandpaper, he felt astonishingly like a piece of deadened lead—

But most importantly of all, he felt alive.

Itachi deactivated the Sharingan, and then he closed his eyes again.

For now, he would recuperate from his injuries

The rest would come later.

* * *

When he awoke again, it was once again to the silence of the night.

The Uchiha was not aware of the passing of time, of how many days it had been since he was brought here, of how many days it had been since that brutal fight in Taki.

But he was completely aware of the warm, slight body draped against him. He stiffened ever so slightly at the uninitiated contact and turned his attention to the female curled up by his side.

There was Sakura, huddled against his lean form as she slept peacefully, looking for all the world like she had always belonged right there with him. One of her hands was curled loosely around his malnourished wrist, her fingers pressed lightly against his pulse as if worrying for him even in sleep. He activated his Sharingan silently, and then he moved his hand.

Immediately, she awoke with a start. Then she looked at their joined hands with a sort of dazed disorientation borne from her sudden transition from sleep to wakefulness before reality washed over her senses like a wave of icy ocean water.

Her eyes widened immediately, and then her head came up to—

For the first time in over three years, blue met crimson.

His gaze was steady as he appraised her solemnly, whereas hers wavered and began to gleam wetly with unshed tears the longer she stared at him.

Three years. It had been three years since they had last seen each other. She had changed in that seemingly long period of time, and so had he. They should be perfect strangers to each other by now—

She reached for him with a soft, muffled cry, hands on his broad shoulders, lips pressed desperately, fervently, _joyfully_ against his, frantic to verify that he was alright, that he was okay, that he was _alive_.

It was as if the three years of separation had never happened.

She had never been the type to conceal her emotions. Always wearing her heart on her sleeve no matter how often she would get hurt because of it, her relief for him was obvious in the way she was openly showering him with her affections.

Affections that was not exactly unreciprocated.

His hands came up to rest on her waist, to tug her nearer to him, to luxuriate in her warmth and sweet scent of mangoes and cream. He was still weak from his injuries and she was being ridiculously delicate around him, but a firm pull towards him solved the problem. She fell against him, even as she tried to use his shoulders to lever herself off his healing form, but he easily distracted her. Whereas her kisses were tentative and gentle, mindful of his wounded state, his were hungry, demanding and greedy, as if he was a man dying of thirst in the desert and she his pure, beautiful oasis.

Her breathing escaped her in shaky, sobs and while he drank from her lips she started to cry. Her arms came around his neck as he kissed her hard and deeply, and her flowing tears slid from her eyes to her cheeks and even managed to dampen his own face. He released her kiss swollen lips eventually, drawing back slightly and watching her tear-stained features inscrutably.

In the semi-darkness, the silvery tear tracks on her face gave her a tragic glow, but the love that shone in her eyes was simply unmistakable, and in the end it made her look ethereally beautiful instead. Even as he watched, the crystalline droplets of tears continued their downward descent across her porcelain skin. Slowly, he leaned forward and easily caught the tiny amount of salty liquid with his lips, lightly sipping her tears away, drawing his mouth and tongue across her damp face, soothing her without words.

She quieted eventually, her breathing shuddering with lesser frequency as he continued his ministrations.

"_You fiend,_" she whispered at last, her voice hoarse from tears. "They told me that you were killed."

The way her voice shook towards the end told him immediately that she had been badly shaken and upset by the news of his supposed death. It was perversely gratifying, the fact that she had grieved for him. In another life, in another universe, the whole world would have rejoiced over his death, the death of an S-class missing-nin, clan-murderer and cold blooded killer. But here was this kunoichi who had no doubt shed so many a tear for him, completely broken over his supposed demise.

He closed his eyes, and nudged his nose lightly against the curve of her jaw in silent apology.

She stiffened slightly, not completely willing to forgive him just yet. She looked at him with slightly accusing eyes. "Kisame told me everything."

The plans to eliminate Uchiha Madara, the plan to have Konoha destroy the immortal once and for all, the plan to fight Sasuke.

Itachi reopened his eyes to look calmly at the agitated female. Then his spoke, his voice raspy and obviously with great effort.

"Sasuke had always been determined as a child; until closure was found, he would not rest."

Sakura understood, reluctantly. It was what she had suspected, after all. "And now that he has avenged the clan, he can finally be at peace with himself."

An imperceptible nod.

"He has become strong." There was a quiet acknowledgement in his tone.

Sakura sighed softly. Of course Itachi would have taken advantage of his encounter with Sasuke to measure his brother's strength as well. But now that Akatsuki was wholly destroyed and he was supposedly dead, what was going to happen next?

Sakura really did not know. She could not imagine that Itachi would be willing to settle down to live the rest of his life quietly and in relative obscurity, and the thought that he would very soon leave her again made her highly distressed. It took considerable will on her part to not think of the future and to focus on the present instead, but she succeeded in the end. There were, after all, still so many things for her to do.

He was here now, and that was all that should matter.

Determinedly, she disentangled herself from her weary lover, firing up healing chakra in her hands as she began to check his condition, swiftly healing smaller, less life threatening injuries now that her own energy was fully recovered as well. Then, once she was satisfied with her work, she got off the bed and padded swiftly to his side of the bed, where a glass and a pitcher of water sat on the nightstand nearby. She poured the water into the glass and handed it to him.

"Drink slowly." She instructed firmly, now every inch the medic. He sat up slowly without aid. His long, thin fingers accepted the glass from her and he sipped the thirst quenching liquid gradually, allowing his stomach to accept the water and completely belying the overwhelming urge to drink faster. Sakura watched him carefully, her gaze darkened with quiet grief as she traced his sunken features and gaunt form with her eyes.

She swallowed hard and started to turn away from him.

"I will make you something. You can't eat anything substantial yet though-"

His free hand came up to snag her wrist before she could go.

"No."

She looked at him, and started to frown. "You haven't eaten for days already. Your body needs food."

"I have no appetite," he told her flat out. Then he locked his gaze upon hers.

"Stay."

It wasn't a request.

Sakura stared at him for a long time, but then she gave in to him at last. It wasn't a hard decision to make after all, especially since she wanted nothing more than to return to his side. Wordlessly, she took the empty glass from him and returned it to the nightstand before allowing herself to be tugged back onto the futon. She settled herself quietly in the space beside him. He laid back down and then pulled her nearer, and she sighed.

"You will have to eat tomorrow morning," she whispered.

He made a noncommittal sound, and draped her smaller body over his. Vaguely, he noticed her womanly figure, curves gently contoured and even more feminine now after childbirth. Sakura curled into his lean form and pressed her face into the crook of his neck, a most familiar spot, as she nuzzled him gently, glad that he was going to be alright. He closed his eyes, and for the first time in years he let down his guard completely, running callused fingers absently against the small sliver of smooth skin that peeked out from between her shirt and shorts.

Sakura too relaxed against her lover eventually, his warmth and familiar scent making her feel all languid and heavy-eyed. She was not ashamed to admit that she desperately missed moments like this with him. In bed he was not the powerful and coldly distant shinobi the world knew him to be. He could be so very gentle when he wanted to be, and she simply loved the way he could make her feel like no one ever had—contented and protected.

For now there would be no talk of the future, not even discussions of their children.

Now was their time, in this velvety quietness of the night. The rare peace that enveloped them now was too precious to shatter, and Sakura was feeling selfish. Tomorrow she would have to share him with the children—and Kisame. But now, she had him all to herself.

Her blue eyes softened.

Sakura ran her lips softly down the side of his neck, and marked the edge of his collar bone with a gentle lave of her tongue. Her affection for him was obvious, and a soft rumble that thrummed from his chest encouraged her ministrations. She sighed again, and he pulled her even nearer to him. She pressed one last lingering kiss on his jaw, and then settled down to doze for the night.

_Okaeri. _

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

And there we go. The long awaited ItaSaku reunion. Hope I didn't mess it up for you people.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for the unbelievable feat that the twins had accomplished (wall climbing at such a young age), well, it's not that unbelievable, actually. First of all, they are only three, which means that their chakra pathways are not fully developed yet and therefore their chakra reserves are very small and therefore very easy to control. Secondly, Kusa and Kuro spent hours mastering the art of wall walking, and even then they had only managed four steps vertically, i.e. maybe a meter or so. It's a small step for them now, and of course they will improve as time passes, but rest assured that I have no intention of turning them into super ANBU babies in the blink of an eye.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Speaking of the twins, I have received the first fanart ever for Curtain Call! pgushi was kind enough to create a mini comic-strip series based on chapter 11 of CC, where Kakashi and Sasuke had to feed little Kuro and Kusa. The first page is up on DA already, and I have put up the link on my profile page for those who are interested. Do visit; I have also put up quite a few links to the wonderful fanarts dedicated to my various ItaSaku fics/one shots. Fanarts are love, pure and simple, so many thanks to those who had been so wonderful enough to take the time to create something beautiful for my humble fics!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	14. Chapter 14

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 7433

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 28/05/08

**

* * *

**

Chapter 14

* * *

Kisame was happily working his way through Sakura's well-stocked pantry the next morning when he saw the first of the twins.

As the tall shark man fixed himself a sandwich Kurohyou padded quietly into the kitchen, a strange look fixed on his young face. Kisame looked up as the boy came to a stop before him, his exotic onyx/emerald eyes staring intently at the man.

"You want some too, boy?" Kisame took a large bite out of his breakfast as he gestured to the array of food on the kitchen island.

Wordlessly, Kurohyou shook his head, the same odd look still on his face. Kisame chewed and swallowed his mouthful of sandwich. Fresh ingredients were always so tasty; it was definitely one of the best advantages of living in a place like Nami no Kuni. The blue-haired nin was intrigued by Kuro's seemingly discontent expression, though; it was true that the older boy was abnormally stoic for a three year old, but he had never displayed that particular look before.

Then there was another hurried scampering of feet, and within moments Kusabana came abruptly into view as well, still dressed in his pajamas and his long dark hair a disheveled mess. In direct contrast, Kurohyou had already changed into his day attire, his face washed and his hair neatly combed. Well, as neat as those purposely tousled mid length spikes could get.

"Kisame-san!" Kusabana called out hurriedly as he skidded to a stop before the tall man. "You are a ninja, right?"

The Kiri nukenin nodded and frowned inwardly at the sudden question. He thought they had settled that a couple days ago.

"And all nin are supposed to protect their precious people as well as those who cannot help themselves from bad people, right?"

What the—?

Kisame almost wanted to ask where on earth the boy had learned that nonsense from when he remembered that their mother was the little Leaf. Nin from Konoha always did like to preach that garbage about love and peace and harmony and all that bullshit. Since Sakura would definitely not appreciate it one bit if he decided to reeducate her boys and open their eyes to the real world, Kisame could only nod reluctantly as he took yet another bite of his sandwich, all the while absently wondering just why Chuckles was asking this question all of a sudden. Come to think of it, even Careful seemed to be in on whatever plan both twins were cooking, siding with his brother and nodding solemnly in agreement with everything he said.

The look on Kusa's face became unexpectedly urgent.

"Then you must protect Kaa-san, now!"

Before Kisame could even ask what this was about Kuro spoke in a serious, disturbed voice.

"There is a man sleeping with Kaa-san."

Kisame promptly choked on his mouthful of food. A hard thump on his chest made him spit the ball of saliva slicked sandwich mix out, and then he could only stare at the little boys incredulously.

"_What_?"

Kusabana fidgeted and Kurohyou looked impatiently at the man as if he was daft.

"Kaa-san never lets villagers into her bedroom." Kurohyou explained matter-of-factly. "There is a man in there now."

Kusabana frowned. "How did he get in? And how come Kaa-san did not sense the man?" The youngest boy mumbled the questions to himself. He looked to Kisame for an answer. "We peeked through the door and she was sleeping on him!"

Kisame made an unintelligible gurgle in the back of his throat. This was definitely something he had no intention of wanting to know. Then, it took him a little while to notice that both boys were looking at him, as if expecting for him to do something. Kusa was all but twitching with impatience.

Oh no…hell no.

"We want you to get him away from Kaa-san."

"No way." Kisame's answer was immediate. Then he cursed inwardly. Damn that little Leaf for refusing to tell them about Itachi's presence right away. "Ita- That man is in no way a danger to your mother. She knows him." Kisame could only sputter along awkwardly.

Kurohyou frowned.

"He came with you?"

The blue-haired nin chomped on the remainder of his sandwich with a vengeance and nodded. "That's right, and the two of you can direct the rest of your questions to your mother when she wakes up."

Before the twins could say another word, Kisame paused, and then continued as if remembering something.

"And for god's sake, don't go anywhere near your mother's room until she says so," Kisame blurted out quickly, intent on saving the boys from an all-too-early lesson on the birds and the bees if he could help it, though he didn't really think that Itachi would be up for anything as strenuous as that at the moment. Just the thought made the Hoshigaki wanted to scrub out his brains with a toothbrush, and he frowned fiercely at both children until he got an agreement from them.

Besides, Itachi's instincts were finely honed in a deadly attack-first-ask-questions-later sort of maneuver when taken by surprise, and since the little Leaf was definitely going to have kittens if her babies were hurt, Kisame decided to save himself the further trouble and to just watch over his partner's brats to make sure none died.

Behold, Kisame the Super Blue Nanny.

"Kisame-san?"

It was Kusabana.

The blue-haired nin looked down at the kid.

"Yes?" He asked gruffly, a little disgruntled that he of the Seven Swordsman of the Bloody Mist was now reduced to being at the beck and call of a couple of three year olds.

The long haired, adorably rumpled looking boy stared hopefully at the large man.

"Can you make us a sandwich too?"

Kisame groaned inwardly, and then wordlessly turned back to the island table.

This is how the mighty fall.

* * *

Itachi woke to the sounds of somebody eating noisily by his bedside.

There was no need to tense in preparation to defend himself; his partner's aura was so familiar that he could easily identify it even when fast asleep.

Predictably, Sakura was no longer in the room.

Kisame looked over at Itachi, even as he popped yet another piece of cookie into his mouth. He had stolen a handful from one of the twins before escaping into this room to enjoy his bounty in peace.

"You finally woke up," the blue-haired nin greeted amiably. Itachi looked outside the window. Judging by the position of the sun, it was nearing mid-noon.

There was a long silence, and then Kisame snorted loudly.

"You really suck at saying 'Thank you'," the shark man remarked. Itachi merely shot him a blank stare, and Kisame finished off the last of his cookies. Then, because he simply could not resist, he added, "Your sons are definitely a lot politer than you are, that's for sure."

At that, there was a mild reaction.

The Uchiha stiffened subtly.

This was rather fun, Kisame decided with amusement, as he stared at his bedridden partner. But as much fun as he was having poking at Itachi with a literal stick, Kisame still had a duty to complete. He stood up, pleased enough that he had finally elicited a reaction from the stoic man. Knowing Itachi, he was probably pissed that Kisame was dangling the mention of his children before him, as well as the fact that he had gotten to interact with the boys already. Heh, it was like baiting a shark—fun, but very dangerous.

Judging by the narrow-eyed look that he was now getting, Kisame decided that it would be for the good of his health to decline sparring with the Uchiha in the near future.

"Well, I gotta go tell the little Leaf that you are awake. She's really anxious to pour soup down your throat, you know."

And with that Kisame beat a hasty retreat.

It was the chance that Kusabana had been waiting for. The curious boy had been lingering around the doorway of his and his brother's shared bedroom, and now his patience was finally paying off. Kaa-san had refused to tell them just who that man was when she emerged from her bedroom earlier that morning, and had turned rather pink in the face when asked just how come she was sleeping with him. It was meant to be the most innocent of questions, of course, but their plainly embarrassed mother had firmly changed the topic and told them that in no certain terms would they be allowed to disturb that man until she said so.

But it was rather obvious to the boys that it was 'that man' who had taken away the sadness in their mother's eyes, and just for that alone, Kusabana was infinitely curious about this mysterious person. And so he had waited for his chance to poke around in the room.

And now here it was.

Peeking down the length of the hallway and seeing that Kisame-san had already disappeared into the kitchen, and the young boy prepared to dash across the hall and into his mama's room. Before he could do so, however, he was promptly stopped by a voice.

"What do you think you are doing, Kusa?"

The question was delivered in a sharp hiss, but Kusabana was not daunted. It was only Kuro, and as usual, his older brother was frowning at him again.

The long-haired little boy frowned back.

"I'm going into Kaa-san's room," he answered in a swift whisper. He started forth across the hallway.

His older brother latched onto him immediately.

"No. Kaa-san said not to disturb the man."

As usual, Kurohyou was being the voice of reason for the two. Kusabana shook his head immediately.

"Well, Kaa-san said not to disturb the man. But I'm just going into the room. Not gonna disturb anybody, I swear." The boy defended almost matter-of-factly. It was amazing just how the younger three year old could be intelligent enough to twist facts the way he wanted when he wasn't busy being an impulsive idiot. Kurohyou frowned harder, his little face screwed up in deep thought. Logic was highly prized for the older Uchiha twin, and what Kusabana said did make sense. Kaa-san never specifically said not to enter her room…

Kusabana had no time to wait for his brother to muddle things through in his head. Kurohyou loved to think and often thought too much about the simplest things. With exasperation, he tensed his legs muscles and, without warning, started to dash towards their mother's room. By the time Kurohyou could think to stop him, both boys were already in Kaa-san's bedroom, much to the smug satisfaction of the younger twin.

"There," announced Kusa cheerfully. "No need to think anymore."

Kurohyou could only glare at his brother with as much ferocity as his three year old self could muster. Then he deflated just as quickly. It was impossible to stay mad with Kusa for long periods of time; his brother appeared completely immune to his annoyance anyway. And besides, he had known that Kusa would plan to do something like this from the very beginning, which was why he had kept a close eye on his brother the moment he started to look thoughtful, of all things.

Unless Uchiha Kusabana was plotting something, he never looked thoughtful.

And besides, Kurohyou was also curious about the identity of this unknown man. And Kisame-san had accidentally mentioned something during this morning's encounter that had immediately roused the older boy's suspicion.

Kisame-san had been about to say the name of the man before he changed his mind.

_Could it be…?_

Kusabana started to prod at his brother furiously, but Kurohyou paid his excitable sibling no heed. Then, his younger brother gave him a hard poke to the side. Kurohyou flinched, and finally looked at his demanding otouto to see what he wanted.

Kusabana's eyes were large with curiosity, and he pointed towards the bed.

"He's…awake," the younger boy whispered worriedly. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come barging in, after all. Now that he was awake, this man's aura felt so heavy!!

Kuro's head snapped towards the man, and immediately, the boy froze.

Now that they were a little nearer and the man was sitting up against the futon, both boys could see his features a lot more clearly compared to that quick peek they had both taken that morning.

He was currently swathed in bandages but that was not what had stunned Kurohyou. As his own mismatched eyes met the older male's head on, all Kuro could think was that this man had his brother eyes, a pure onyx that was simply unmistakable.

And his hair… It was raven black like theirs.

_Could it be…?_

Kusabana swallowed his apprehension and was the first to venture forth hesitantly. The man was sitting so stilly as he stared hard at himself and his brother, and although Kusa was clearly alarmed by the man's aura, something in the man's eyes drew him nearer. His aniki caught his movement at the edge of his vision, and Kurohyou hurried after his brother. Something told him that this man was dangerous, but he resigned himself to following after his reckless brother all the same.

"Anou…who are you?" Kusabana asked almost shyly when the twins were finally standing by the foot of the futon. He had wanted to approach even nearer, but Kuro had held on to his arm and refused to let him go.

Itachi could only stare at the little boys. Their Uchiha parentage was obvious in their physical features; their hair, their eyes, the cheekbones, and even their nose. He had heard them squabbling outside in the hallway long before they burst into the room, and the lively curiosity in one brother, as well as the watchful protectiveness in the other, surprised him slightly.

There was no doubt in his mind that these were his sons, and it was equally obvious that while they may look like him, their spirits and characters were clearly inherited from their mother.

The knowledge was unexpectedly relieving.

"You look like us." Kurohyou's statement was blunt. His brother nodded immediately in agreement, and then added his own question.

"Are you an Uchiha too?" Kusabana's query was completely innocent. "Kaa-san says that all Uchiha have dark hair and eyes."

The little boy thought hard for a moment and then continued. "Oh, and this."

He closed his eyes and screwed his face up in serious concentration. And when he opened his eyes, _they were crimson_.

Itachi stiffened immediately, and since it was the only visible reaction that they had seen the man make, Kurohyou activated his as well, not to be outdone by his little brother.

Twins pairs of premature Sharingan stared back at him.

"We only have one tadpole inside at the moment though." Kusabana continued babbling away, glad that the stranger seemed to be paying a lot of attention to him and his brother. "But Kaa-san says that we would have three tadpoles one day, so I can't wait."

"…Tomoe."

For the first time, the man spoke. His voice was soft and calm, and Kusabana decided immediately that he liked the man's voice.

Kurohyou frowned slightly.

"Tomoe?"

"The proper name is tomoe."

"Oh." Kusabana was, unfortunately, not very interested in this lesson. But he brightened up quickly at the implications of the man's knowledge. "So you are an Uchiha too!! Do you have the tadpoles- uh, tomoe? Can we see, please?"

The long-haired boy was all but vibrating with excitement. Itachi eyed the other child. The quieter sibling was staring at him almost thoughtfully, as if sizing him up, not entirely sure if he liked what he was seeing.

Without closing his eyes, he activated his own pair of Sharingan with little effort. Red bled into onyx, and the circle around his pupil split into three perfect tomoe.

The father looked to his impressed sons, and waited for them to draw their own conclusion, curious to see how they would react.

In his wonder, Kusabana pressed closer to look into the man's eyes. His brother finally let him go.

"This is awesome!" The young boy scooted over to stop just inches away from Itachi, his own premature Sharingan staring excitedly into his parent's.

Itachi could only stare absorbedly at the puppy-like eagerness of his own son, not entirely sure how to interact with the chattering boy. His hesitance never showed on his face, but the quiet fascination in his eyes was rather impossible to hide. This little being here, together with his older brother, was his flesh and blood, and already both boys were starting to show promise of becoming powerful shinobi in the future.

Then, Kurohyou crept nearer as well. He halted beside his brother, but unlike his otouto it was not Itachi's Sharingan that fascinated the child. Slowly, the boy reached out to lightly touch the arm of the older male.

Crimson locked with crimson, and then Kurohyou spoke, finally giving voice to his suspicions—and hope.

"…you are our father, aren't you?"

* * *

And that was how Sakura found her sons a few minutes later, one on either side of Itachi, both completely fascinated by their newfound parent.

The kunoichi was so stunned to see the boys gathered around their father that she could only stare. Then, she watched unobtrusively by the doorway at the trio's interactions and quickly found herself biting her lips, relieved happiness evident in the soft glow of her eyes. Her Kusa was being his usual excitable self, gesturing wildly as he talked a mile a minute about anything that came into his mind, solemn little Kuro was staring at his father with rapt attention, as if afraid that the older Uchiha would disappear if he so much as looked away.

And Itachi…

Quite possibly for the first time in his life, he appeared completely at a loss. It was not very obvious, but the way he kept looking at the boys with a sense of almost bewilderment made Sakura's eyes warm with gentle amusement.

She stepped into the room with the tray of food, and almost immediately, three heads of raven black looked up at her entrance.

"Kaa-san!" The boys chirped immediately. Or rather, Kusa chirped and Kuro greeted respectfully.

Itachi watched the petite female enter the room, all traces of his earlier vulnerability wiped clean from his gaze as he stared at her inscrutably. But Sakura was not paying attention to him. She walked towards the side table nearest to Itachi and placed the tray of broth and utensils on its surface before turning to confront her children.

"I thought I told the two of you not to come in here?"

Immediately, Kusabana gave a charming, cheeky grin. The twins' eyes were back to onyx again, having exhausted their chakra supplies quickly with the usage of their Sharingan. "No, Kaa-san. You just told us not to disturb Otou-san."

Sakura faltered immediately at the 'Otou-san' part. Her eyes flew to Itachi's, but he too was staring at Kusabana with something akin to quiet surprise. He recovered swiftly, onyx eyes becoming composed and calm again but Sakura was now aware that this was the first time her son was openly acknowledging his father. That knowledge made her mind go blank for a moment, but then she quickly shook off her stupor to frown at the boys instead.

"…How did you-"

"How did we know, Kaa-san?" Kurohyou interrupted calmly. "You did give us a description of Father. Long raven hair, onyx eyes, not to mention that we both share physical resemblances with him."

Kusabana nodded immediately. "And he made you smile again. You were so sad for that past few days, but when Otou-san came back with Kisame-san you became happy again, and you always had that same look on your face whenever we asked you to tell us about our father."

Her babies were so astute that it was almost frightening. As Sakura stared at her sons speechlessly, she could also feel the weight of Itachi's eyes on her.

It was completely awkward, and before Sakura could struggle to find something else to say Kusabana spoke again, his gaze completely earnest and innocent.

"Can we keep him please, Kaa-san?"

* * *

Sakura was mollified by her son's outspokenness. Even Kurohyou had turned to stare at his idiot brother with something akin to disbelief on his face, and thankfully, Itachi did not seem to be reacting much to his son's absurd request.

"I mean, if Otou-san is here then those men from the village won't keep coming here to talk to Kaa-san, right?"

At that, Itachi shifted his attention to Sakura. His probing gaze was evident to his petite lover, but she simply refused to even look at him.

"And then Kaa-san won't have to-" Kusabana would have happily spilled everything for all to hear if not for his mother's quick interruption.

"That's quite enough from you, Kusa." Sakura's voice was brisk and no-nonsense. Kusabana fell silent immediately. Both boys knew better than to disobey when their mother was using that tone. Then she sighed with exasperation. "Go outside for your chakra lessons now. Kisame is looking for the both of you."

The children hesitated, obviously reluctant to leave their new parent. Sakura understood their worry. They were probably afraid that he was going to disappear if they so much as left him alone. Their apparent insecurity made her heart ache slightly. She had never realized how much they had yearned for their father.

She moved towards her sons.

"Your Otou-san is unwell and needs rest." She spoke as gently as she could to them, her tone now markedly less sharp than before. Twin pairs of solemn young eyes regarded her, and she knew that they saw and understood more than she thought. Sometimes, they understood all too well. Maybe it was the manifestation of the Sharingan in their blood, but they were always so very observant and it was always a challenge trying to keep ahead of them. Still, it was a challenge that she welcomed completely.

"Besides, I think Kisame is planning to teach the both of you that back flip you saw him do the other day in the living room," Sakura bribed subtly. To her chagrin, both children immediately gave her mildly reproachful looks, as if fully aware that she was just trying to send them on their way.

"Do you promise that we will get to see Otou-san again?" Kurohyou asked straight out. Sakura's eyes softened.

"Silly boy," she ruffled her son's hair with obvious affection. "Use that logic of yours and tell me if your father looks prepared to go anywhere."

The twins looked to their father. "Otou-san," Kusabana asked somewhat hesitantly. "You will stay here… right?"

For a brief moment, Itachi glanced at Sakura. Then, he looked at their children. They were so needy, and it only served to remind him that they were still so very young. At last, he nodded once. For Sakura, the relief on the boys' faces was almost painful to watch, but the twins recovered quickly. With Itachi's confirmation, Kisame's lesson suddenly took precedence, and in a hurried flurry of movements the boys got up, said their goodbyes to their parents, and promptly thumped noisily out of the room like a herd of elephants. Sakura followed them to the door, rapidly giving out instructions on what they could and could not do (and making them promise while she was at it because her babies were getting more and more slippery when it came to her rules lately), and to look for her immediately if they got injured so that she could heal them (as well as to yell at Kisame until his ears came off).

"And don't just eat cookies for dinner! I have already prepared food and it's waiting in the kitchen. Tell Kisame as well!"

"Alright, Kaa-san!" The fading agreements of her boisterous children echoed back to her as they hurried out of the house.

Her boys' enthusiasm amused her slightly, and with a slight shake of her head, she slipped the bedroom door shut before preparing herself to deal with Itachi. His meeting with their children certainly hadn't gone the way she had planned it, but she should have known that the boys' curiosity would have prompted them to sneak into the room the very moment her back was turned. But they seemed to have accepted their father with no difficulties whatsoever, and so she decided to leave it at that.

Sakura turned and walked quickly towards Itachi, not looking at him the entire while. Then she went to the side table to retrieve the tray of hot chicken and vegetable soup. She passed him the soup spoon first, but when he did not take it from her she lifted her head to look at him.

"You need to eat," she told him firmly. At last, he accepted the utensil from her and she passed him the bowl of soup next. And while Itachi ate slowly, Sakura checked his injuries, changing bandages and healing whatever scrapes and bruises she could reach. As expected, he was healing quickly and his chakra reserves would return to full capacity in a few more days.

Eventually he finished the soup and returned the tray to the side table. Sakura was done checking him over as well, and she looked at him.

"I suppose that you have questions to ask regarding the twins."

He nodded slightly.

"How…was their birth?"

It wasn't like him to hesitate, but still, the quiet glint of interest in his eyes was simply unmistakable. He wanted to know about his offspring, the sons whom he knew virtually nothing about, and the circumstance surrounding their births was only the beginning of his deep curiosity of them. That particular question of his was three years too late, he was well aware, but it had been something that he had wondered about for a long time; how this slender, petite lover of his had managed to give life to both of his children.

Sakura sat down by the edge of the bed, eyes distant as she thought back to three years ago.

"I went into labor earlier than expected, in Ame, but Naruto brought me back to Konoha in time for shishou to aid in the birthing. I spent nineteen hours giving birth to the boys. I was bleeding; the placenta had gotten lodged in my cervix and I couldn't dilate at all." She paused hesitantly, and then continued. "I was bleeding so much and I was terrified that I would lose the twins. But shishou shifted the placenta back into place, in the end, and we just waited until I was ready to push."

She was purposely downplaying the arduousness of her labor process, making it sound so relatively pain free and simple and he glanced at her sharply, very well aware of the complications that she had just described. But her eyes were soft as she clearly remembered the first time she had laid eyes on her baby sons, the ecstatic joy in her heart as she looked upon her two newborns.

"Kurohyou came first, and roughly two hours later Kusabana emerged as well." The look on her face was gentle with maternal affection, and then she looked at him. "You should have seen them. They were completely identical at birth, and it was only a week or so later that Kuro's left eye started to lighten and change color."

"They are both very smart too, though Kusa always employs that intelligence of his for mischief and pranks, whereas Kuro prefers to entertain himself with books." Sakura's pride was unmistakable.

"They have activated the Sharingan," Itachi stated quietly. "None within the Uchiha clan have activated the Sharingan at such a young age before."

Itachi was now certain that he had done the correct thing by not giving his sons over to Madara. The deceased immortal would never have let such potential go untapped, and certainly would have done everything within his means to turn the boys into ruthless killing machines before turning them upon each other. Madara always was dangerously fixated on games of survival.

Sakura stared at Itachi, clearly surprised.

"They showed their Sharingan to you?"

He nodded slightly, and she frowned.

"I told them not to turn it on for others to see," the kunoichi muttered. "This is a civilian village, after all…" Then Sakura looked at Itachi almost worriedly. "They activated their Sharingan in their sleep. They woke up with the kekkei genkai only a week or so ago, on their third birthday." She paused, and then continued. "There is nothing wrong with them, is there?"

The look on her face was filled with anxiety for her children.

"The early development of the Sharingan only indicates how strong they will become when they grow up. It does not affect them in any other manner, and they will have to learn to master the Sharingan in order to have proper control over their bloodline limit."

Sakura did not appear happy to hear that.

"I don't want to expose them to ninja arts yet," she protested immediately. "They are still so young."

Itachi merely looked at her calmly.

"This is their heritage. They will need to master it eventually, and there will come a day where they will need it to protect themselves."

Sakura shook her head.

"That's what I'm for, isn't it?" She looked at him, hesitated, and then spoke again. "That's what _we_ are for; to protect our children."

He did not deny her statement.

"That may be true, but there will come a time when they will have no one but themselves to rely on. Would you fail our sons because of your over protectiveness now?"

Sakura's gaze hardened.

"No," she said at last. "But I do not want them to become cold blooded killers."

Her implications were clear.

_I do not want them to be like you. _

Her gaze was unwavering as she stared him down with quiet defiance, almost as if daring him to say otherwise. This was something that she would not budge on. Her children would learn compassion and know love in their hearts, everything that their father had once lacked.

It seemed like an eon passed as onyx clashed against artificial sapphire, but at last Itachi nodded, relenting.

"They will not become cold blooded killers," he murmured, "unless you mold them to become so."

Sakura's answer was immediate, and appalled.

"I will never attempt to force our children into any sort of mold at all. They are perfect as they are."

Oddly enough, the quiet glint that appeared in the Uchiha's eyes made Sakura feel as if she had just passed some sort of test. She was suddenly flustered, and she got to her feet immediately, taking the tray of utensils with her as she stood up.

"You should rest now," she ordered briskly. "Your body is still recuperating, and by tomorrow you should be able to walk around a little, and maybe even have a shower too. I'm going to look in on Kisame and the boys; have them have dinner."

She didn't wait for his reply, and hurried quickly out of the room, slipping the door quietly shut behind her.

* * *

The next few days passed quickly.

True to form, Itachi recovered enough to move about in a little more than a day's time. The children were completely in awe of their stoic father, and although Itachi didn't speak much as usual, Sakura could tell that the twins were thrilled to have their parent patiently correct the basic taijutsu stances that Kisame had just taught them. Watching the domestic scene from a distance, Sakura's eyes never failed to cloud over with quiet joy.

For the first time in three years, her little family was together again.

And she was learning to be thankful for such simple blessings.

Soundlessly, she began to make her way towards Itachi and the boys. They were in the expansive backyard of her cottage and currently, Itachi was meditating quietly under the sheltering boughs of a large tree, whereas at a fair distance away were her boys. Kusabana and Kurohyou were attempting to practice their stances, and the elder boy was succeeding, too, but Kusabana was already beginning to twitch and fidget. The day was sunny and the weather just too nice for taijutsu, and Kusa's attention span was completely ruined.

It didn't take long for Kusa's boisterous behavior to knock his elder brother out of his careful postures, and almost immediately, a rough tumble around the grass ensued.

Sakura could not stop herself. A soft laugh escaped her throat as she came to a stop beside Itachi, and she watched with amusement as the boys romped furiously with each other. So much for worrying that they would change; they were just like a pair of playful puppies!

At last, she turned her attention to the person she had come to see. Itachi's eyes were open and he, too, was watching the antics of their sons. Then Sakura knelt down by his side, and wordlessly, she began to run healing chakra over his torso once more. His internal injuries were slow to recover; they still seeped blood sometimes and Sakura had to check him periodically to close the reopened wounds.

She worked silently and efficiently, and he turned his attention to watch her as she weaved her magic over him. It was as if she had never changed all these years; her chakra was still warm and comforting, the absorbed look of concentration on her face was as he had remembered, and she was as beautiful as ever, if not even more so now that she was the mother to his children.

"Does your breathing still discomfort you?" She looked up at him, her eyes concerned.

He shook his head.

"Good. What about your chakra? Does it still fluctuates?"

Another negative affirmation.

Sakura nodded, and then pulled her own energy back within her self. She glanced back to see what the children were doing. Somehow, they were back to tree climbing again, and it looked like it was a fierce competition between both boys. Watching them reminded Sakura of her Genin days, as well as Naruto and Sasuke.

"Their attention spans are all over the place." Itachi commented as he looked at the squabbling children.

Sakura didn't even glance at him.

"They are only three, Itachi." There was no worry in her voice whatsoever, only carefree lightness. "Let them play now. They can become powerful shinobi when they are a little older."

To that statement Itachi had no reply. There had been no such thing as 'play' in the Uchiha clan, but as he watched his children running around amidst shouts of laughter (Kusabana) and dismay (Kurohyou) and then at the slightly grinning woman with the twinkling eyes beside him, Itachi decided that maybe indulging in such activities wasn't as useless as he had once been taught to believe.

* * *

The boys were turning out to be a most contradicting mixture of personalities—just like their mother.

Kurohyou appeared to be wary and distant at first, but he was also the one who always tried to please everyone. He was a peacemaker and a natural worrier, always thinking about how his every action would affect those around him and more often than not would give way to his younger brother.

Kusabana was the loud, lively chatterbox. He was a happy boy, sunny and outgoing and loved to share his views with anyone who was willing to listen. Naturally, that made him a rather reckless and boisterous child compared to his more serious sibling. Despite being identical twins, Kusa was evidently the more charming of the two and to Sakura's distress, was also beginning to show a startling creativeness in using his intelligence to slyly get himself into—and then out of—even more mischief.

However, despite their marked difference, it was obvious that the twins shared a very close bond with each other. Itachi observed that, when together, they worked very well and efficiently; both seemed to have an uncanny ability to anticipate what the other sibling would do next so as to prevent from working on the same job and thus wasting time. It was interesting to see that they had already developed such an intricate partnership at such a young age.

Like now, when they were put in charge of setting the table while their mother prepared dinner. Kurohyou would gather the tableware from the drawers, and Kusabana would clean the table. Then, the older boy would set the table, and his younger sibling would put out the paper napkins after he was done.

What their small hands lacked in precision for laying the utensils was made up by their earnest concentration and genuine eagerness to help their mother in anyway they could.

Kisame, who had been booted out of the kitchen awhile ago for being constantly underfoot and trying to steal bits of food before dinner, had wondered aloud as to how they had already learnt to be so efficient when they were only so young.

Imagine Kisame's surprise when Kurohyou answered him solemnly.

"If we don't do it, who will?"

It was a startlingly sensible answer, and Itachi had looked at his sons inscrutably from his position on the couch a fair distance away.

Then Kusabana piped up, in complete agreement with his brother.

"Besides," the boy remarked matter-of-factly, "If you don't help, you don't eat. It's rather simple."

Kisame stared oddly at the boy.

"Your mother starves you if you don't help?" He sounded morbidly fascinated.

Immediately, Kurohyou frowned at the unwitting slur against his mother's character. Kusabana only shook his head.

"No, stupid." The three feet tall boy chirped the insult to the nearly seven feet tall nin and more than thirteen times his senior in age. Kisame twitched. "Kaa-san works hard to provide for us. Sometimes, she even has to help heal those wandering '_nin'_," Kusabana spat out the last word with a fierce grimace. "And sometimes they look at her funny. I don't like them," the boy ended in an unhappy whisper.

Kurohyou looked at his brother, and then continued where the younger boy left off. "We can't do much to help or even protect Kaa-san right now." His oldest son was surprisingly blunt and realistic about their abilities, and an accompanying nod from Kusa indicated that the boys had probably discussed this issue in detail before. However, there was a firm tone in his voice that told Itachi that they were probably planning to alter that as soon as possible. "So we can only do these little things to help lessen her burden."

Once again, Kusabana nodded.

"Besides, we get to have dinner quicker if we help out." The boy was back to being cheerful again.

Kisame could only stare at the twins. For kids so young, they were unbelievably…sensible, not to mention shrewd. Their intelligence was almost eerie, if not for the fact that they were only trying their best to help their mother. As such, they were only being amazingly filial.

Kurohyou concurred to his brother's statement, and then added, "And Otou-san is back now, anyway."

The innocent faith in his son's solemn gaze brought back a series of unexpected memories of another little boy from so long ago. But the mismatched onyx/emerald eyes and short, tousled raven hair was nothing like Sasuke's, and when Itachi blinked, the face of his son returned to his vision.

The silky, invasive whisper of Uchiha Madara flooded his mind.

_They have so much potential… Are you sure you don't want to explore them? To measure your capacity, to push them to greater heights… Their blood is strong, who knows… How very sweet… they are so close to their mother… It would be easy to deal a blow to them… a first lesson… _

_Kill her. _

He flinched inwardly.

_Kill her. Kill her. Kill—_

No.

It was true that Madara no longer controlled his actions. But the teachings of his powerful, insane teacher would forever influence his thoughts, the dead Immortal's sibilant, suggesting whispers forever ingrained within his mind whether he wanted it or not. The cold blooded, merciless killer in him was created solely by Madara. He had been taught to think, to always plan at least fifteen steps ahead of the opponent, to permutate all the possible outcomes even before the battle had began. That part of him was improved and enhanced by his predecessor, continuously filed razor sharp in preparation for all sorts of situation, and _forever tainted_ by the hands of Uchiha Madara.

His master was always right; there had been no need to fight Madara on his decisions. The Uchiha had lived for so long and had seen the world so many times; surely he could make no mistake.

But he did.

He made the flaw of believing that his descendent had been successfully trained into an unfeeling, uncaring, inhuman creature.

And he was wrong.

Nearly four years ago, Itachi had made his choice.

_He could not hurt her. _

In that clearing near Amegakure, when Sakura had returned to him bloodied and broken after her confrontation with Leaf-nin—

He could not kill her then, and he would not be able to kill her now.

He had thought himself pathetically weak then, so weak that he was unable to sever the emotional attachment to the sweet pink-haired female with the gentle, laughing eyes.

But now he knew better, and he had learnt to accept what was meant to be. For him, she had turned her back on her beloved country. For him, she had given birth to a pair of sons. For him, she had given her complete devotion and loyalty.

And not once, _not even once_, had she asked for anything in return.

By sheer force of will, Itachi banished the dark, treacherous thoughts from his mind. To pollute and warp the minds of his own offspring, to kill the mother of his sons was something even his own father had never done.

And he would not do it either.

There was no power to be gained from such deeds, after all, and it was apparent to him by now that his sons did not need the kind of 'motivation' that he himself had once gone through. The boys were very intelligent, after all. To be able to speak complete sentences and to fully comprehend everything going around them, not to mention the usage of the Sharingan at such a young age, bespoke of great promise in their potential. It wasn't a question of if they would surpass him one day, but _when_.

Even Kisame himself had been impressed with the boys' genius as well as their inbuilt Uchiha ability to observe and pick up skills quickly. The blue-haired nin had mentioned offhandedly that the boys would be formidable when they grew up, and now all that had to be done was to patiently nurture their abilities, and hone them so that they would become a force to be reckoned with when it was finally their time to emerge within the deadly world that was in their blood.

A shinobi.

But until then, they would have to be carefully protected.

As was Sakura.

His lover had done much over the years. She had carried the twins by herself, she had given birth to them alone, and for the last three years she had cared for them alone. She was such an emotional creature; tearing herself away from Konoha again to live in utter solitude with their sons was probably one of the hardest things that she had done. He was privately surprised that she didn't blame him for what she had been put through; the look of pure joy on her face when she had leapt at him the moment he first woke up those few days ago was something that he had never expected to see.

But she had came to him, weeping with relief and running her lips across his face, desperate for assurance that he was well and not dying. It was only when he felt her hot tears on his face that he came to a stunning conclusion.

_She had been crying for him. _

It had never happened before, and he hadn't known how to react to her then.

But there was _one_ thing that he had realized that night, and that realization was suddenly very important to him now.

He was never going to let her go.

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

I apologize for the delay in update. My laptop up and died on me, the hard disc crashed and I have been internet-less (and very miserable) for the last fortnight or so. Everything is repaired and in working condition now, so everything will be back to normal and I promise that the next chapter would be up by this weekend. Thanks for the continuous support and concern from readers and online friends alike; this authoress is definitely alive and kicking, albeit currently bemoaning over all the programs that she has to reinstall one by one into a completely wiped out hard disc.

I really do appreciate all the concerned PMs and messages, though. Thanks a bunch, people.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I know some of you have mentioned how unrealistic it was that Kuro and Kusa had awakened their Sharingan in their sleep, of all things. I'm well aware that the Sharingan normally manifests in times of great danger in canon-verse but on the other hand, I cannot find any solid confirmation that indicates the Sharingan would appear only when its user is in peril. Therefore, it is still possible for the kekkei genkai to awaken in different ways. Besides, I never intended to have the twins' Sharingan become the focal point in the chapter. The awakening of the blood limit was only a premonition with respect to the Leaf/Sand battle against Akatsuki; so please don't read too much into it.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I know I shouldn't take this so seriously, since it has happened before and probably will happen again, but I really wish to say this one more time, especially to this joker, DOOD12132, who thinks he/she is so smart and all knowing of the Naruto-verse, and therefore by extension, the entire Naruto section of FF Net as well:

_im here to flame these shi-tty fanfics like yours. i hate this couple and seriously, sakura sounds like a and sakura hates itachi watch: hinata loves narutosakurasasuke(wants to killitachinoone_

Surprising as it may seem, I'm actually well aware that ItaSaku is not a canon pairing (to the abovementioned imbecile, thanks a lot for 'opening my eyes' to the truth, _again_), which is why these _fanfics_ of mine are on FF Net and not over at FP instead. So thanks for flaming my 'shitty' fic, if not I would never have guessed that ItaSaku was actually not a canon pairing, and that for a moment I was delusional enough to believe that I was Kishimoto in disguise, getting myself a fangirl fix in FF Net. You were really such a lifesaver; I would never have known what to do without your insightful, grammatically incorrect and error-prone review of bad writing. So thanks again, you twit, for giving me such an excellent opportunity to vent about the many idiosyncrasies of mindless, bimbotic fangirl/fanboy stereotypes, who fail to even perceive the simple difference between fanfiction and anything else, like realism, perhaps.

And please, if you are thick-skinned enough to leave yet another review of this laughably pathetic standard, then don't be such a coward and lose your false sense of bravado and misdirected self-righteousness halfway through. Leave down an email address behind, dear, so that I can get back to you to tell you just what I think about your inspiring message. That way, I won't have to insult my readers further by actually displaying your witty comment again on my shitty fanfics, just so that I can get the tantalizing chance to tear and destroy that pathetic, worthless hide of yours.

Come on, I dare you.

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Geez.

It is really frustrating to have random idiots come up to flame the pairing instead of the plot/grammar/spelling aspect of the fic. It's like Dumbville out there, or something, and that's probably why the internet is so amazing. Some people are so desperate to get their opinions heard that they don't mind sounding like morons while they are at it.

…

Once again, I apologize to any offended readers, safe for whatsitsname. I'm not normally this easily riled and vindictive and prone to taking cheap potshots at other people no matter how deserving they are of it, but I have to admit that the past weeks have been trying on my limited patience, and this was just the last straw that broke the camel's back. Please, just comment on my writing, and not the pairing. It is really frustrating to have to say this again and again, and I hope that this is going to be the last time.

…

Alright, calming down much now.

On a side, but positive note, thanks for the 1000+ author favorites, not to mention all the wonderful fanarts that I had received these couple of weeks! They really made my day, and once again, I have put up all the relevant links on my profile page for those who are interested. Thanks for all of your support, dear readers. I don't often mention it, but I'm so very grateful for all your kind reviews and helpful comments.

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	15. Chapter 15

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 7486

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 01/06/08

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* * *

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Chapter 15

* * *

Dinner was a simple affair but the meal that Sakura had prepared was rich in nutritional value.

Itachi was finally recovered enough to take solid food, and she knew that he desperately needed to gain the muscle mass that he had lost. Even Kisame appeared a little less than his usual beefy self and could definitely use some fattening up.

When dinner was ready, there was grilled eel with kabayaki sauce, miso soup with tofu, cucumber and wakame seaweed salad, a platter of gyoza, and lastly, torino karaage with rice.

Predictably, the children coveted the deep fried chicken and pan-fried dumplings, and Sakura was kept busy reminding them to slow down and to quit wolfing down their food like there was no tomorrow. Her advice fell on death ears, especially since right across the table was a ravenous Kisame who appeared hell bent on devouring everything on the table. The boys were intent on competing with their 'sensei', and in the end, the kunoichi could only watch with exasperation as the impromptu eating competition commenced with great gusto.

Well, at least they had no complaints about her cooking.

By her side, Itachi ate calmly amidst all the fuss, and the fact that he seemed to be eating at last relieved Sakura somewhat. Her lover never consumed much in the first place, and his current emaciated condition always distressed her whenever she thought of it.

Sakura sipped her miso soup and glanced at the Uchiha surreptitiously over the rim of her bowl. He picked up a piece of unagi with his chopsticks and slipped it into his mouth, chewed quietly, and then swallowed. Then he looked up, and met her gaze. His eyes were a dark, inscrutable onyx at the moment, and she stared back boldly.

Their visual contact held for a brief moment before she looked down, fixing her attention on the food in front of her instead. She pushed her portion of the grilled eel towards him.

"The unagi is fresh, and very rich in protein content." She explained her action simply. "You need it more than I do; to build up muscle mass."

The pink-haired female paused for her lover's reaction, and surprisingly enough, she was not disappointed. Wordlessly, almost as if it was the most natural thing for him to do, the Uchiha reached out with his chopsticks, easily broke off a piece of grilled eel meat from her plate, and continued to eat.

Satisfied, Sakura too, returned back to her meal, content that he had listened to her.

It was such a simple thing to do, and it really shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary.

But it was.

Most would take it for granted for as long as they lived, but for Uchiha Itachi, the gift of trust was something he did not give lightly. Sakura was an exception, and for someone as wary and as highly guarded as he was, it spoke more than anything else ever could.

And the two little pairs of eyes that had watched their seemingly casual, yet so very intimate interaction turned to each other to share a goofy (for one)/secretive (for the other) smile.

Of course, Kisame noticed too. The Hoshigaki frowned.

"Hey," he spoke at last. "That's not very fair, is it-"

"Keep quiet, Kisame-san!!" Kusabana hushed the large nin with the grand authority of a three year old.

Kurohyou responded by dumping his own unagi onto the nukenin's bowl. His younger brother did the same; they never liked the texture of the fishy dish anyway. Kusa then paused, considered his options, and before Kisame could wonder what the younger boy was about, quickly reached out with his chopsticks and snagged a piece of Kisame's remaining karaage with a speed that was almost astounding. Then the long-haired boy proceeded to pop the large piece of fried chicken into his mouth before the blue-haired nin sitting beside him could stop him, chewing with great relish as he did so.

Kisame could only stare at the smugly victorious little boy. He opened his mouth as if to speak, and then when nothing seemed to come out, he looked around to judge the reaction of his dinner companions. Itachi was eyeing him calmly, Sakura appeared mildly chagrinned by her son's mischievous acts, and Kurohyou was digging into his own meal again.

Kisame let out a huge sigh, closed his mouth and resumed eating. There was nothing that he could say that would not make him sound like an idiot, after all.

The rest of dinner proceeded with relative peace.

* * *

That night, Sakura made sure to look over Itachi's injuries as usual.

The boys were already tucked snugly into their respective beds and last she saw, Kisame was meditating outside the house, his precious Samehada lying safely by his side.

Itachi had already retreated into the bedroom and so Sakura looked for him there. The kunoichi slipped quietly into her room and clicked the door shut behind her. Then she walked towards the lean Uchiha who was standing silently by the open window, staring into the night.

"Itachi."

Slowly, he turned to glance at her, and she gestured towards the futon. "Sit down. I need to look you over again."

Dressed in dark pants and a navy blue shirt, he padded soundlessly away from the window and towards the bed. Sakura climbed onto the futon first, and then waited for him to join her. He acquiesced to her request and sat before her, his long legs stretched out along both sides of her kneeling form. His warmth was unmistakable at their proximity to each other and Sakura pushed healing chakra into her hands and started to run them over his body. It didn't take long for her to discern that he was well on his way to recovery, his wounds healing quickly and his chakra capacity filled to normal. The worst of his internal injuries seemed to have closed completely as well, and as for the rest, Sakura easily sealed the minute tears and fixed his lungs again.

Her gentle ministrations soothed him, and he stilled under her expert hands. The silence between them was companionable, and it was a little while later when she was done. She began to pull her energy back into her own body, but her hands never left his. She lifted her head to look at him. Their eyes locked.

Brilliant blue darkened.

Her hands were splayed against his chest, and as she stared quietly at him they moved up to his collarbone and neck, and lastly to his face. He was still painfully gaunt, the parallel lines of stress on his face etched deep and serving to make him look haggard. It hurt her to see him like this. She traced his features lightly with trembling fingers and he let her, closing his eyes wearily, his tensed form relaxing slowly in her comforting presence.

Then she leant in to press her lips against his, the chastest of kisses. He lifted a hand and buried it into her long hair, while the other snaked around her waist to pull her nearer. She shuddered lightly.

"Itachi…" Her voice was a soft, gentle whisper against his mouth. He responded to her by running his tongue lightly against her lips, tasting her essence and moving even closer to her. She allowed him, her fingers threading comfortingly into his silky, raven hair as well, her mouth opening slightly under his coaxing as she returned his affection with lips and tongue and teeth.

Slowly, he sprawled back onto the futon and she followed him down gladly, her long strands of dark hair shielding them from the world as she draped across his lean form like a living, breathing blanket. His arm curled around her gently curved waist, pulling her completely against him as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring her familiar taste as she did him. She straddled him unconsciously, but yet, their actions were not those of mad lust or purely for sexual gratification.

Excluding that first night when he had woken up with her curled by his side, this would be the first time they were behaving so intimately with each other in over three years. Itachi had been too exhausted and injured for anything more affectionate on Sakura's part, and she herself had been so emotionally shakened by his condition that all she could do was to focus completely on seeing to his recovery. But now that he was well on his way…

Things were beginning to change.

As absurd as it seemed, it was as if they were getting to know each other again.

His hands roved over the beautifully contoured map of her sweet body, sliding and cupping and caressing and she let him, sighing softly into his mouth as he stroked her and fitted her against his lanky form. Like he had noticed that night he first woke, she had changed again. Her form was curvaceous and womanly under his hands, her breasts fuller than he could remember, her waist back to being slender and dainty, her hips full and enticing. Her legs were long for her petite form, and she was as beautiful as ever, this kunoichi of his.

She did her own exploration as well, running her hands gently across his face and then down his torso. She could feel each and every one of his ribs as her fingers moved over his gaunt form, and her eyes turned dull with sadness. She pulled away from his mouth, and then she tilted her head up to run her lips against his cheekbones, the angular curve of his jaw, his proud chin.

He closed his eyes, and her familiar scent of mangoes and cream inundated him. He luxuriated in her warmth as she nuzzled him tenderly, her affection for him startlingly obvious as she handled him with precious care. Her gaze was soft as she looked at him, and she made no attempt to hide the expressive emotion in her large eyes when he finally reopened his own onyx orbs to regard her.

He would never tire of seeing her like this, unselfishly open and receptive only to him; there would be no female on earth like the one lying in his arms right now.

The pure obsidian of his eyes darkened completely, and her breath caught in her throat. It was obvious that he still wanted her, but what he would never say aloud he never failed to show her with his eyes and actions, and for Sakura, that meant so much more to her than any words could represent.

The firm, unwavering hope that refused to go away, despite all these years of loneliness, started to grow again. Could it be…that maybe, he cared for her, even if it was just a little bit?

Sakura was slightly dazed by her own unexpected realization, but her conclusion was not hard to make at all.

After all, he had always returned to her in the end. He always found her, and he never failed to protect her whenever she needed it. Even when she was badly wounded and dying, even when she intended never to see him again, even when she was heavily pregnant with their sons, even when he had to turn his back on Akatsuki and his teacher to shield them from danger.

And now, now that the Akatsuki was no more, he had returned to her side once more the very moment he was able. And his eyes …they were changing. Once so emotionless and distant, they were now so quietly thoughtful and contemplative as he looked at her, and she could not help but feel painful hope stir in her heart whenever their eyes met.

And just what would happen now?

The worrying question had plagued her more than it should for the past few days. Would he leave again once he was fully healed? Would he disappear from the children's lives permanently? From her life?

Sakura was almost afraid to ask.

What if he left again? What would she do?

And…what if he never managed to return this time?

Once was enough; if it happened again…Sakura really didn't think that she would survive another blow like that. The discovery of his 'supposed' death had nearly destroyed her. There had been so many regrets on her part, and so many 'what ifs' that refused to leave her mind. What she would do if he was alive, what she would say, the things she wanted to let him know.

And would he stay now? Sakura wanted to ask. But she was afraid of his answer and in the end she became thoroughly sick of her own subservience and nervousness. Why was she acting this way? And just what did she want from him?

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

She did not want him to leave.

And so she told him.

"_Stay_."

Her voice was soft but fierce as she whispered her command, her eyes growing hard and determined as they locked firmly against his. In an instant he was immediately reminded of just who she really was; beyond the gentle layers of facades that was mother, lover, and healer, she was first and foremost, a kunoichi, and her deadly edge had not dulled at all, the light in her eyes still as ferocious and powerful, her graceful, supple form impeccably that of a warrioress.

And this warrioress was completely prepared to fight to keep her mate, her smaller body tensing ever so slightly above his, almost as if she was preparing herself for the very worst.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but she refused to flinch, to yield. Her heart raced in her chest, but she met his gaze with quiet defiance. The mother of his children was no wilting wallflower, weak and constantly in need of protection. She had proven very well the past three years that she could survive on her own, looking after their children with remarkable ability and providing for them in all ways that counted.

Protection. Shelter. Sustenance. Knowledge. Love.

She was the fierce lioness who watched over her cubs with sharp, careful eyes, always never failing to spirit them off to safety whenever danger came looking for a prey. She had also been patiently waiting for her mate's return, faithfully biding her time when he would come back to her—_because she knew he would_. _He always would. _

And now that he was back by her side, she clearly didn't want him to leave again.

It was true, that while she may not necessarily need him to survive, his steady, silent presence never failed to reassure her in all the ways that mattered. He gave her the affection she craved and needed, he could make her purr softly with lazy contentment just with his simple touch, he could make her heart beat so hard and sing so loud with his proximity and familiar scent…

He was her soul mate in every way that counted.

Without him, she was not whole, an imperfect pendent with it's other half broken off. Incomplete.

Did he feel the same too? She didn't dare ask.

But he must have needed her too, in his own way. Because in the end—

_He nodded. _

It was a small incline of his head, almost imperceptible, but the implications behind his one simple action stunned her. She had been so certain that he would never stay—

It was almost unbelievable.

He had always been the lone wolf, always wary and distrustful and—

And yet he was choosing to tie himself down to her.

Her vision of him became blurry as she finally processed his answer. Doe-like blue eyes that were alit with joy became wet with tears. In the blink of an eye she had changed again, from the fierce, pint-sized Amazon who had been willing to fight to hold on to everything she held dear back to the gentle, loving female who proudly wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see. Her tears refused to stop and she ended up weeping quietly all over him, and belatedly, he realized that he was always making her cry no matter what he did, and was mildly amused by the notion.

She was such a strange bundle of contradictions; after all the time they were together, he still hadn't uncovered all of her secrets that made her so unique in his eyes. Maybe he just hadn't tried hard enough, but that was alright.

She was his now.

They both knew very well what he had chosen when he had agreed to stay. He had as good as bound himself irrevocably to her, clipping his own wings in the process and tying himself down to all sorts of responsibilities, not to mention vulnerabilities.

Uchiha Itachi was invincible. He had no weak points to exploit, no weaknesses, no vulnerabilities.

But now, he had three.

It was three too many for his tastes, and it had taken him a long time to come to terms with his weaknesses.

Three years of absence, but nothing had changed. He still could not deny her touch, still could not look at her and feel any ounce of killing intent towards this beautiful female who had cried with joy and dizzying relief, simply thankful that he had been alive.

And he found that he could not let her go, and was it so wrong to want to indulge himself, to keep by his side the one person who had accepted every facet of him so unconditionally, so wholly?

She was someone whom he had never known of before, and instinct told him that he would never meet anyone quite like her again. He would never admit it, but maybe, just maybe she was a blessing in disguise after all.

There was no doubt that, without her interference in his life, he would be long dead alongside Madara by now. He would have died fighting for something that would never truly be within his grasp: the promise of immortality.

He would have fought Sasuke, filled with the complete belief that he would ascend to be a celestial being the moment he could take his brother's eyes, that he would become a god. Undefeatable.

But all that he would have become was a living Undead, mind twisted by the strain of the Sharingan, filled with nothing but hate and delusions of grandeur.

And not a moment too late, Sakura had helped opened his eyes to the truth, and by giving him a pair of sons, had given him another way to measure his capacity.

Like the Uchiha before him who had refused to follow Uchiha Madara out of Konoha when he had been defeated by the Shodaime, he was realizing now that the only true manner to immortalize oneself would be through one's descendents. Already, his sons were beginning to show promise in that they would one day surpass him in terms of abilities, and all he had to do now was to make sure that they fulfilled their potential.

Itachi glanced at Sakura.

In a way, he owed her, this quietly sniffling kunoichi who was currently curled up against him, even as he ran his hand absently over her back. She may look terribly weak now, but for all her deceiving appearance, he knew that she was truly strong.

_For you, I will stay. _

* * *

"They are sleeping together again."

Kusabana's happy announcement made Kisame even grumpier than usual, if possible. Being squeezed in a couch way too small to fit his tall frame for the past few nights was serving to make the shark man one uncomfortable (and unhappy) nin. He definitely had no intention of wanting to know what Itachi and the little Leaf were up to the past night to make his mornings even more unbearable.

"Ummrrpph." Kisame grunted noncommittally as he walked towards the kitchen whilst trying to get rid of his cramped muscles from sleeping on the damned sofa. Kusabana followed behind him, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Kurohyou emerge from his shared bedroom with Kusa, freshly washed and dressed as usual. The Hoshigaki frowned slightly.

"Why are the two of you up so early today?" the blue-haired nin asked as he glanced at the kids. It was only fifteen minutes before seven, and the boys normally only woke well after eight. The twins glanced at each other, and then looked solemnly at Kisame.

"Today is Thursday," Kurohyou stated.

Kisame raised a brow. "I know that," he replied.

Kusabana shook his head, a small grin on his face. "Today is Thursday, that's why we woke up so early."

The shark man's brow went up a notch.

"And why is today so special?"

"Well," Kuro began carefully. "Today is where Kaa-san's two suitors come to visit."

* * *

True enough, there were two men who appeared to enter Nami's gates at the same time.

Both were huge, strapping young men, tall and tan and muscular. One had blonde hair bleached nearly white thanks to the constant exposure to the sun, and the other had light brown hair due to the same problem. They were rather good looking, too, rugged men possessing raw, masculine appeal.

Their names were Issan Hitoyama, and Awasedo Ishizue, and they were from two different fishing villages situated by the borders of Nami no Kuni.

However, they both had one thing in common.

They were both hopelessly in love with the same woman, the beautiful Midori-san of Nami no Kuni.

So not only were Hitoyama and Ishizue rivals in love, but their respective fishing villages also held the other with great disdain and dislike. It was most unfortunate that both happened to be completely head over heels in love with the same person.

She had been prettiest woman they had ever seen, and they had been completely enthralled by her long lustrous hair and large blue eyes, not to mention her sweet, kind nature. It had been by complete accident that they had met the petite beauty, of course. Coming from both rival villages, the two most sought after (as they had often self-proclaimed) bachelors of their hometowns had been involved in a little competition of just who could catch the most fish in a single trip out to sea. Most determined to outdo each other, the two had proceeded to remain out at sea for a total of three days and three nights, before their prides could no longer stave off the severe dehydration and sun stroke.

And so they were brought to the powerful healer of Nami no Kuni's largest trading village to be treated.

One stroke of her cool, gentle hand against their fevered brows and one look at her delicate, doe-eyed features had them convinced immediately that she was an angel sent down from the skies of heaven to deliver them salvation. The angel in question had burst into peals of laughter, her husky voice filled with such feminine amusement that they were completely enchanted.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

It didn't even matter that she had been married before and already had a pair of young sons, it certainly hadn't mattered at all when said pair of sons had consistently tried to make things difficult for them, and it sure as hell didn't matter the least bit when their mother had consistently tried her best to discourage their strong suits.

True love would prevail in the end, after all, and besides, both of them had no intention of losing out to the other.

"Give up, Awasedo," Hitoyama snapped. "Midori-san won't have anything to do with the likes of you. You stand no chance with her."

Ishizue glared. "Shut up, Issan," the other man hissed as he shouldered his rival aside to continue to walk towards Midori-san's house. "Midori-san had never shown any preference between the two of us when we first saw her a year ago, and she hasn't shown any preference now. Her sons, however, do love my specialty smoked salmon." The brunette lifted the carefully wrapped packet of cured fish meat and waved it before the blond.

Hitoyama growled. "So what? I have brought even more seafood than your pathetic offering!!"

The villagers, whom the two arguing men passed by without notice, could only shake their heads with exasperation and pity the poor healer.

Here they go again.

Every Thursday without fail, the two suitors would scramble and squabble their way to Midori-san's house, and then both would boldly linger around the petite female's property, stating that they would not leave until 'the other' did, posturing and jostling roughly against the other like a pair of cantankerous grizzlies fighting for mating rights and generally making a right nuisance out of themselves. More often then not, a round of fisticuffs would erupt between the tetchy males, and in the end, their 'lady love' would have to patch them up again before shooing them out of her house and back to their respective villages, and they would meekly heed her orders. Come next Thursday they would be back again, to proclaim their affections as well as to present their offerings to her, much to her exasperation and the amusement of her children.

The villagers were also mostly amused by this (double?) one-sided love affair.

Well, at least Midori-san would never lack for seafood for the rest of her life.

* * *

Kusabana peeked from behind Kisame-san and could only grin at the dumbfounded looks on Hitoyama and Ishizue's faces. Beside the now not-so-blue Kisame, Kurohyou stood in plain sight and stared up at his Kaa-san's overeager suitors with grave solemnity.

This morning, the boys had learnt a new trick. The henge. Upon sensing the presences of the two men, whom the boys had explained were mostly harmless albeit very loud and whom their mother would be most displeased if harmed (Kisame had asked, much to his disappointment), the shark man was left with no choice but to alter his appearance to look more human and less shark.

The twins had been suitably awed by the simple jutsu, and the glint in Kusabana's eyes told all that he was probably planning some mischief that would include the clever usage of the nin art the moment he could properly master it. The boys would have been thrilled to learn right away, if not for the untimely arrival of the two fishermen, and therefore, Kisame's teachings would have to be postponed.

For a long moment, Hitoyama and Ishizue could only stare at the man who had answered the door. He was easily as tall as they were, possessing blue hair, pale features, and nearly white eyes.

"Who are you?" Hitoyama demanded at last with great suspicion. "And where is Midori-san?"

The men were used to seeing the pretty brunette healer behind the door, not this large, seemingly dangerous looking man. And it was true, Sakura was always aware of just when the fishermen would arrive, and would always try to be present to forestall any fights or arguments that would erupt between the two males.

Kisame raised a brow. "Saku-" he promptly received a sharp pinch on the back for his mistake, courtesy of Kusabana. "Midori is unavailable at the moment." Then as an afterthought, he added, "She's still asleep."

Predictably, both men stiffened, much to Kisame's inner joy. Just because he wasn't allowed to kill these two before the children did not mean that Itachi would be similarly constrained. Now, if only he could prod them to rush headlong into the little Leaf's bedroom like the pair of unthinking bulls that they were, won't they be in for a nasty surprise.

"How did you know that Midori-san is still sleeping?! Did you go into her room?" Ishizue glared threateningly. "And who are you, anyway? What are you doing here?"

Kisame's brow arched higher.

"I'm the family friend." He decided to humor the younger men. "In fact, you can say that I'm a friend of her…husband."

"Her husband?" Hitoyama frowned, but calmed down visibly. "Don't you mean you _were_ a friend of her deceased husband?"

Kisame was very amused with his own little game by now.

"Oh, her husband is definitely very alive and kicking, alright. In fact, he should be resting with her in the bedroom even as I speak."

The look of disbelief and absolute horror on the men's faces were so hilarious that it was all Kisame could do not to burst into sharp barks of laughter. But he did allow himself to be shouldered aside as the two young males started to rush into the cottage. Kurohyou found himself hugging roughly a week or so's supply of fish and seafood, whereas Kusabana leapt up nimbly to catch the bundle of smoked salmon. The younger boy proceeded to unwrap the packet slightly to pull out a thin sliver of salmon to nibble on.

"You must be lying, Midori-san's husband is dead!" One of the two muttered as they hurried down the living area and towards the hallway.

"No," Kisame muttered with a shark-like grin. "But you will be if you dare go into that room now."

Of course, the Hoshigaki's remark was made so softly that neither of the men could hear. Then, he looked at the twins and shrugged cheerfully. Nothing like a good skirmish to start the day, he would always say, though Itachi might not necessarily agree.

"I warned them. Ain't my fault they didn't listen."

Kusabana's eyes gleamed with hero worship. Kurohyou stared reproachfully at his 'sensei'. Then, he started to walk slowly towards the kitchen to keep the seafood, as sensible as can be, though struggling slightly with his fishy burden. His brother watched him go, and then turned back to regard Kisame with a shrug and the packet of smoked salmon.

"Want some?"

* * *

Sakura was vaguely aware that she was forgetting something, but the feeling had been so minute that she had sleepily dismissed the notion. The sudden events of the past few days had exhausted her greatly, not to mention the emotional turmoil that she had been put through, as well as all the serious healing that she had to perform on Itachi…

The petite female curled unconsciously into the warmth of her lover. His breathing was calm and steady beside her and she was further soothed by his presence. Whatever she had forgotten couldn't be so important after all, could it?

Then, the door to her bedroom slammed open and she was abruptly jerked awake. Itachi was already reacting, eyes snapped open and turning a violent, bloody red as he tensed. It was a most fortunate affair that the two idiots who had barged in possessed no chakra signatures whatsoever; if not, the Uchiha would have ensured their deaths mere seconds after they had walked through the door.

In the semi-darkness of the curtained room, Hitoyama was almost sure that the man's eyes had flashed a deranged, demonic crimson. He had taken a quick second look, but he must have seen wrongly earlier for his eyes were dark, almost pitch black. Then bigger, more important matters crept into the head of the younger male and he promptly forgot everything about his startling discovery. It was probably the dim lighting playing tricks on his eyes, though the sight of the man in question, in bed with his adored Midori-san, was definitely as real as it could ever get.

"…Hitoyama-san…? Ishizue-san?"

Sakura's whisper was one of quiet bewilderment as she stared at the upset faces of the two men who had just rushed into the room. Grimacing inwardly, she berated herself for actually forgetting that today was Thursday.

"Midori-san…what is this…?" Ishizue muttered as he stared at Itachi. The raven-haired male ignored the two men. He stared hard at Sakura, clearly awaiting a proper explanation from her.

"Isn't your husband supposed to be dead?" the brunette asked as he started to point rudely at the Uchiha. There was simply no denying that this man must be the true father of her sons. His physical resemblance to the boys was too uncanny to be otherwise.

Sakura flinched slightly at the reminder of her lie, and she could clearly feel the weight of Itachi's stare on her. Wracking her mind for some idea of explanation but failing miserably while she was at it, she blurted out at last in a desperate attempt to stall for time.

"How did the two of you get in here?" She asked quickly from her position on the futon.

Hitoyama frowned. "Your family friend let us in," he answered at last.

Kisame.

Sakura twitched inwardly. It was just like that idiot shark man to pull something like this.

However, this was rapidly getting very awkward for Sakura. In the end, the kunoichi decided to get her 'suitors' outside to explain matters properly to them, far away from Itachi, whom she could tell was getting dangerously annoyed with the two civilians. Dressed in her sleeping attire of a small shirt and shorts, she pushed aside the duvets and prepared to get out of the bed. Like typical males, the pair of fishermen could not help but appreciate the sight of her curvy figure and creamy, long legs.

Itachi stiffened slightly, suddenly very aware that these two were probably those 'men' whom his sons had mentioned in the passing before. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

"Get out," he spoke at last, his tone clipped, his voice cold.

It wasn't a request, but the two men were obviously too obtuse to notice. They stared at the Uchiha. It was apparent that he was slimmer in build and not nearly as tall as they were; the both of them could probably defeat him in a laughably embarrassing manner, and their thoughts were so obvious that Sakura could clearly see the cogwheels in their simple heads grinding and churning.

Itachi would have welcomed them to try, but Sakura simply had no intention of wasting an entire morning cleaning up all the blood from her bedroom, thank you very much.

Hitoyama growled inwardly, not liking the seemingly self-possessed and cold raven-haired male. He was hardly compatible with the sweet and kind Midori-san!

But the disturbingly still atmosphere around the man made the blond's hair stand up eerily. He had no idea why, but his instincts were prodding mercilessly at him and telling him insistently that this smaller man was very dangerous.

It made him bristle with resentment.

"Who are you to ask us to get out?"

Onyx eyes narrowed minutely.

Sakura decided to have the men vacate the room before they got into serious trouble. Itachi appeared to be growing distinctly irritated, and they were doing nothing but annoying him even further.

"Hitoyama-san, Ishizue-san." She made to start towards them but quickly found her wrist manacled by her lover's long fingers. Sakura raised her eyes to his.

"You will remain here, _wife_."

Her eyes widened slightly, but he ignored her and turned to regard the two foolish young men who had the audacity to lay their unworthy eyes on his woman.

Itachi was not a possessive man by nature, not really. The Uchiha took whatever he wanted, and before Sakura, none of the things that he had held in high regard could be easily snatched away. Power, ability and skill were his and only his alone, something that nobody could steal away after all, and therefore there had never been a need for the raven-haired male to guard over them jealously.

But now there was Sakura, and Itachi could still clearly remember the furious rage in his younger brother's smoldering eyes when they had fought their death battle a week or so ago, and part of Sasuke's anger had clearly been over the pink-haired kunoichi whom the younger male had failed to keep as his own. To add insult to injury, his brother had not only taken away their entire clan in the span of one night, he even went off and started a family with a beautiful and strong female who would have once laid her life down for the younger Uchiha in a single heartbeat. But not anymore. He had admitted to his emotionless elder brother to seeing his young sons, and the fiery jealousy in the younger man's eyes had privately surprised Itachi. It was painfully obvious that Sasuke had never completely gotten over Sakura, in his own way.

There was no doubt that Sasuke would still take the beautiful pink-haired kunoichi for himself if he ever had the chance, and he had as much as implied it to Itachi, informing his hated elder brother that after their fight that day, he would never see his children again, as well as Sakura.

He had survived, of course, though badly injured, and although Sasuke would never know it, their battle had ended in a draw. Sasuke had by far exceeded his brother's expectations, and Itachi had been thoroughly satisfied by their fight. Then he had returned to his lover, feeling at peace with himself, if only for awhile.

Not anymore however, and definitely not since this pair of fools had so unthinkingly burst into the room and had even dared ogle Sakura like she was theirs.

_She was his. _

He had staked his claim on her from the very beginning, and now that all his affairs were finally in order, he had returned immediately to defend her from any interested males. Contrary to popular belief, Uchiha Itachi did not feel that possessiveness was a terrible weakness. Carelessness was a weakness. Stupidity was a weakness. Greed was a weakness. But not possession.

There was motivation in the particular reaction after all, and he had learned from a very young age that any force that would ultimately help him reach his goal in the end was more than good enough for him. Unlike most people who would become hotheaded and foolishly impulsive when jealous or angered, Itachi's inner psyche worked in a completely opposite manner. His mind would quiet down, his brain becoming impossibly sharp as he coldly and methodically calculated and analyzed the fastest way to bring down his opponent.

Possessiveness wasn't a terrible weakness at all if utilized properly, and although he seldom, if ever, cared about anything enough to grow covetous over them, the logic behind the action was simple enough to understand.

Itachi eyed the two larger men coldly. It was unlikely that they would attempt to engage him; he wasn't even emitting any sort of killing intent and already they were looking at him with great wariness. Calmly, he chose at last to release a small amount of his ki, and by his side, he easily sensed Sakura turning to him sharply, no doubt giving him a warning look.

Predictably, the two men froze up at the eerie feel of dark power roiling around them.

"What…manner of…trick is this?!" Hitoyama spoke with great effort as he started to perspire with an entirely unwelcome emotion. Fear.

Ishizue, on the other hand, was completely well aware of just what was going on. The brunette stared at the raven-haired male with stunned horror; there had been only one time before that he had felt this sort of deadly atmosphere, and that was when he had went to Kirigakure to trade, and the other nin's aura hadn't even been anywhere near this intense!

He was pale-faced and sweating badly as well. This had changed everything.

"You are…a shinobi."

Hitoyama stiffened. Wha-? He had seen shinobi before; there were definitely none who could make him feel this _afraid for his life_. Was this the true reason why nin were so feared?! He wasn't even doing anything?

It quickly became obvious to them that this man was way out of their league.

Itachi merely leveled a detached stare at the two men. They were all but shaking with undisguised terror, despite their best efforts, and Sakura immediately felt badly for them. The upset look in her eyes was nothing compared to the paralyzing stare of her 'husband's' though, and they failed to see just how sorry she was.

"Leave." Itachi's voice was curt. "And if you ever look at her with such lust again…" His seemingly dispassionate gaze sharpened, became deadly. "I will _geld_ the two of you."

They blanched at the quietly delivered promise. There wasn't even a question as to just which 'her' he was talking about.

"Is that clear enough, gentlemen?"

Completely disregarding Sakura by now, her 'ex' suitors nodded quickly and then all but fell over themselves trying to squeeze through the door at the same time. Sakura winced inwardly at their genuine terror and could only frown at Itachi when the door slammed shut, leaving them alone again. Truly, the kunoichi would have ran after the poor men and tried to explain, but Itachi was still refusing to let go of her wrist.

"You can release me now," she muttered at last with exasperation. "They are going to be screaming all the way back to their villages, and you didn't have to scare them like that. They are good people, and all they wanted was-"

Before she could complete her sentence he turned to her and gave her a flat stare.

"All they wanted was to fuck you."

His uncharacteristic usage of crude language took her by surprise. His dark eyes stared hard into hers as he edged nearer towards her, but she was undaunted by his proximity. She remained still however, the mood that he was currently in was somewhat foreign to her. Either he really disliked being abruptly awakened in the morning, or he was really displeased with Hitoyama and Ishizue-san's unwitting challenge to him. Sakura suspected that it was probably a little of both.

Her frown deepened.

"You are being unnecessarily offensive," she remarked sharply in response.

"Am I?" He asked calmly.

Now she was becoming insulted. Her eyes flared with irritation, but before she could open her mouth to reply to his comment he continued to speak.

"…To want to settle themselves between your silken thighs, to run their hands all over your lithe body, to pillow their heads on your full breasts…" His soft, lilting tone was almost hypnotic to her ears, and he was now so near that their breaths mingled and she could clearly see the dark ring of his pupils against the backdrop of pure onyx. All of a sudden, it was as if the atmosphere had changed, and against her very will her heart began to race in her chest as she easily pictured him touching her in the exact manner in which he had described.

Her eyes darkened as she looked at him, and his own obsidian orbs pierced completely into hers.

"But you are mine." It wasn't a question. "And I will not share you with anyone."

His normally placid, lilting voice was hard and unyielding, as if he was reaffirming the promise that he had made to her over three years ago—that she belonged only to him, and that he would not tolerate any attempts that would take her away from him. Eventually, Sakura began to understand just what was going on.

It was true, that while most women would have been beyond giddy with delight to know that their partner could—and would become jealous over them, Sakura was not one of those aforementioned silly females. Itachi's brand of possessiveness was so overwhelmingly intense that she had no doubt that anyone who was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of his icy wrath was going to be in for a deadly experience. Suddenly, she was just relieved that Hitoyama and Ishizue were only mere civilians, and thus well below Itachi's regard. The kunoichi was aware of how seriously her lover viewed threats—as well as how merciless he would be whenever he eliminated them.

Still, the sense of exasperation that was growing stronger and stronger over this current situation refused to die. At any rate, her initial irritation at Itachi had disappeared completely. Sakura still could not decide if that was a good thing or not.

"I hope you are not making all this fuss just to imply that I have loose morals and have been spending the last three years of your absence chasing around anything with pants." Her voice was dry. "If so, you are giving me too much credit—as well as putting way too much confidence in your sons. Both of them run me ragged every single day, I don't even have time to myself as it is."

By now, there was nothing but resigned amusement in her eyes. Then, she turned quietly serious as she regarded him.

"Besides," She admitted candidly, her eyes softening gently as she leant forwards the remaining distance to his still form, pressing her lips against the side of his mouth. She whispered her declaration softly against him.

"You are the only one I want."

_

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_

:tsuzuku:

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**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

And so ends chapter 15. For those who were simply itching for more ItaSaku interaction, here you go! For those who weren't, well, my apologies if some of you are simply drowning in fluff, but after three years of prolonged absence, I think it is rather imperative for both Itachi and Sakura to reaffirm their status with each other, which was exactly what had happened. For her, he would stay, and in turn, he would be the only one for her.

Blame my inner romantic if you want, but I'm ridiculously happy with my fluff.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I hope that Itachi is not being too OOC again. It is true that jealousy and possessiveness does not seem to go hand in hand with the name 'Uchiha Itachi', so I do hope that I had explained my reasons behind his seemingly irrational behavior well enough.

My theory is rather simple, actually.

Because Itachi does care for Sakura, it is therefore safe to assume that it also leaves him wide open to receive a multitude of other emotions as well, whenever she is concerned. As seemingly cold hearted and detached as he appears to be (oh, he would probably never show it but it's definitely there), I'm very certain that even the great Uchiha Itachi has insecurities of his own. In fact, I'm very sure of it. He is such a paranoid, wary individual after all; he probably has a basket full of nothing but worries and anxiety, just that he is ridiculously good at hiding all of them. Not to mention that the subject of affection happens to be a rather raw, sensitive topic with him (at least in my version of Itachi, that is), not often openly displayed and having had the hunger for power and nothing else drilled into his head at a young age. I just have a feeling that Itachi would expect at least an equal measure/confirmation of affection from Sakura, most probably even more, now that he had admitted to what he had always been told was a weakness.

Love.

Which explains the jealousy and possessiveness, I hope; the reason why he guards her affection from _any_ possible threat with such unexpected ferocity, even when it isn't really necessary at all. Sakura is head over heels, after all.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for the dinner scene where Kusabana unexpectedly snatches the karaage from Kisame and actually succeeds, well, I'm rather aware that Kisame is an S-class nukenin and that it should be impossible for an untrained three year old to best him at anything. Let's just say that Kusabana had surprised his sensei with his unorthodox (and impolite) behavior, not to mention that Kisame wasn't actively trying to prevent the boy from stealing his food in the first place.

And yes, eel meat is really rich in protein, which is in turn great for building muscle mass. I even googled, just to be extra sure.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Issan Hitoyama, and Awasedo Ishizue are my newest OCs to grace the chapters of Curtain Call. They were created mainly for comic relief, to be honest, to make things a little more interesting in this current lull.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

By the way, for those who are interested to know (and have already suspected), Curtain Call is finally coming to an end. There are only four chapters left inclusive of a lengthy epilogue, but things are going to be interesting and drama-ish again soon (for one last time), before I could tie up all the loose ends and everything else in between.

Also, as of chapter 14, Curtain Call now has over 1000+ reviews!! Thank you so very much for all of your kind support, dear readers. You people make me very, very happy.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, I'm here to fulfill a very unusual request from an anonymous reader.

To a certain Gi Gi:

Sam, whom you had met at the Fananime last weekend, would like you to contact her via her email address because she has accidentally lost your number. If you are Gi Gi, please leave me a PM so that I can pass you the email address.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	16. Chapter 16

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 6605

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 04/06/08

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Chapter 16

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Imagine Sakura's surprise when she emerged from the bedroom not fifteen minutes later only to see the children, an amused Kisame, as well as a certain pair of miserable-looking fishermen sitting around her living room. Itachi was right beside her, having washed up in the bathroom as well, but unlike Sakura, he was hardly taken aback by their presence.

Hitoyama and Ishizue flinched at the sight of the raven-haired male, and Sakura would have stepped forward to assure them that they would not be harmed, if not for the presence of the imposing Uchiha standing by her side. The kunoichi decided to stay put. Although she had reassured Itachi that she was not going to be as easily stolen away as he believed, she was under the nagging suspicion that it was not herself that he clearly distrusted, but the men around her that he reserved the highest suspicions for, not believing them to be capable of keeping their hands to themselves. Never would she have expected for him to be so possessive of her but she certainly wasn't complaining.

He cared for her, after all.

Kisame glanced at his partner.

"I really thought that you would ki- kick them." The still 'henge-d' blue-haired nin amended the 'k' word swiftly at Sakura's warning look. "But I should have guessed that your peace-loving little 'wife' would never have allowed that."

Before Kisame could imply anymore that Itachi was henpecked, Sakura interrupted him immediately.

"You prevented them from leaving?"

Kisame smirked. "Yes. They were blabbering about 'nin' and 'shinobi' when they thundered out like a pair of terrified buffaloes, and I figured that maybe they shouldn't be allowed to run around the village in their current state. Itachi would really have to ki- kick them if that happened."

Hitoyama flinched, and Ishizue stared at Itachi with wary fear in his eyes. The twins weren't stupid, they looked at their mama's suitors and then back at their parents; one who looked rather chagrinned and the other seemingly indifferent.

"Don't harm Hitoyama-san and Ishizue-san," Kurohyou spoke quietly. "They have never hurt us."

Kusabana nodded in agreement.

"Don't kill them, but tell them to keep bringing seafood instead!!"

Sakura was not amused by her son's rudeness.

"Uchiha Kusabana!" she snapped warningly.

The young boy quickly threw his hands up in surrender, but the piece of smoked salmon that he had been nibbling on dangled embarrassingly in the air, much to his mother's exasperation.

"Sorry, Kaa-san, but I was just speaking the truth. Ishizue-san's smoked salmon is very delicious, you know. Kisame-san thinks so too."

The shark man in question shrugged.

"It's tasty."

How they had degenerated to discussing salmon, of all things, was something Sakura really didn't understand. She was eager to get back on track, however. The kunoichi turned her attention to Hitoyama and Ishizue.

"I'm so sorry, Hitoyama-san, Ishizue-san." The petite female apologized from the other end of the room. She tried to be as reassuring as possible. "They were just joking; you will not be harmed."

Predictably, the two males did not appear convinced. After all, Itachi didn't look like he was laughing. In fact, the raven-haired Uchiha did not seem at all amused by the entire situation.

Ishizue was the first to speak.

"We will keep quiet about your identity," he blurted out quickly. "No one will know from us that you are all nin."

At that, Hitoyama's dazed gaze sharpened.

"You are all…nin?" he asked, bewildered. "Even you, Midori-san?"

Sakura saw no reason to lie. She nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Hitoyama was completely crushed by her confirmation. The blond appeared heartbroken that his adored lady was a kunoichi, and therefore was nothing like the demure and sweet female that he had made out in his mind. His heartbreak lasted a few seconds only, however. It was proving to be immensely dangerous to behave like a tragically lovelorn hero before the heroine's possessive mate, and Hitoyama rather valued his life, thank you very much.

He heaved one last anguished sigh…and then he moved on. There were greener pastures elsewhere, after all, and most preferably not guarded by fierce, hair-trigger deranged, seemingly psychopathic nin. He announced his intentions to everyone, obviously under the belief that all present would be immensely interested in his current love status.

Kisame was completely amused by Dumb's rousing statement of how he severely regretted relinquishing his powerful love for the beautiful Midori-san but it was something that he had no choice but to follow fate's hand, how they would forever be unrequited lovers like the Sky and the Earth, and that he had at last made the difficult decision to be the better man to allow her to return to her lover instead (never mind that they were never together in the first place and that said lover would have gladly killed him for even looking at her the wrong way). But he would be strong and not wither away from the devastating heartbreak, because he was sure that she wouldn't want him to be so, and thus he would bravely continue living his life, and would have no choice but to look for a substitute that would never be able to compare to her beauty.

In other words, Hitoyama was going to have to search out for a new target to pester and overwhelm with his 'love'.

Sakura could only smile weakly in reaction. Itachi looked like he didn't care one way or another, and Kisame made a dry remark of how Hitoyama's so called 'powerful love' wasn't worth much in the first place if he was giving her up so quickly and without a fight.

Ishizue, on the other hand, was a little more reluctant to give up on Sakura, kunoichi or no. He kept quiet for a long, thoughtful moment, and then he looked at her as well as the silent, powerful raven-haired male standing by her side. It was becoming apparent to the brunette that the beautiful female was very happy to have her mate finally return to her. Even her body language expressed her bond with her lover, her petite form subtly moving closer to that of the larger, stronger shinobi who happened to be the father of her sons.

She had stayed completely loyal to him even in his extended absence, and Ishizue was well aware of her devotion, which had been what had attracted him to her even more. Not once had she tried to encourage their suits; in fact, she had always done her best to make it clear that she wouldn't mind having them as friends, but anything else she was just unable to give.

And he could clearly see why, now.

Her affections were reserved for this Uchiha Itachi, her faith and loyalty in him so strong that she had remained true to him even without his constant presence. And now that the he was back—

It was equally evident by the fierce possession in her lover's cold gaze that he had no intention of letting anyone take her away from him, but then again, she was so perfectly contented to remain by his side that she would never have left him no matter what.

It was then that Ishizue finally understood the painful truth.

He had lost Midori-san long before he could even begin courting her, and the truth was that he never had her in the first place.

The brunette quietly conceded defeat. He was but a simple fisherman after all, and like Hitoyama had proclaimed moments ago, there would always be other fish in the sea.

But now…

Ishizue looked to Sakura.

"Midori-san…you will not kill us, right?" he asked the kunoichi hesitantly, eyes carefully averted and not even wanting to risk looking at her powerful lover. There was something about the raven-haired male that reeked of death and destruction, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

Sakura shook her head immediately.

"Of course we will not harm the both of you!" She sounded slightly dismayed by the notion, though the fact that her mate had not said a thing worried the men more.

Itachi stared hard at the two civilians.

Then he started to walk towards them, his tread soundless and his gait measured. Kurohyou and Kusabana stared at their parent with blatant curiosity; Kisame appeared mildly interested, whereas Sakura tried her best to reassure the anxious men with her eyes.

Itachi stopped before the two fishermen. They avoided his gaze instinctively.

"Look at me."

It wasn't a request, and both men forcefully swallowed their growing fears to obey. Their encounter with the Uchiha's overwhelmingly powerful aura in the bedroom still weighed heavily on their minds, and it was with barely subdued fright that they lifted their eyes to meet—

_The eyes of a demon. _

His eyes were crimson red, and Hitoyama and Ishizue could only stare at him with increasing terror. It was impossible to tear their eyes away from his piercing orbs no matter how hard they tried, internally screaming at their frozen bodies to look away but to no avail. It was as if he had them trapped in his bloody gaze and the two men were nearly hysterical with their fear.

It was only a little less than ten seconds for the men who had locked eyes with the powerful Sharingan wielder but it might as well have been a decade. It was obvious to Sakura that both fishermen were literally scared stiff by Itachi, if the way they were beginning to hyperventilate whilst never taking their eyes off of his was of any indication. Then as quickly as it had happened, the Uchiha knocked them out with his kekkei genkai, with an ease that completely awed his sons.

Poor Hitoyama and Ishizue were certainly grateful for the blissful, blessed darkness that claimed them immediately. They were equally certain that they would never forget their near death encounter with the red-eyed, demon mate of 'Midori-san'.

They couldn't be more wrong.

They would not remember a single thing when they woke up. At least, not in the way they had last remembered things to be. There would be no nin in their memories, no terrifying crimson eyes, and certainly no unrequited flames who had two sons and belonged to demon mates. Midori-san would be just an acquaintance, and they would treat her with great respect as was her due.

"You altered their memories," Kisame commented dryly as Sakura hurried past her lover over to the two men currently passed out on the couch.

Kusabana literally lit up with awe, and his aniki was no less impressed.

"Really? That's amazing!!" The younger boy ran up to his father to inspect his parent's crimson eyes. Unfortunately, Itachi had already deactivated his Sharingan. Kusabana was not the least deterred. "Can we do that too?!"

His Otou-san looked at him.

"Not yet." Itachi answered calmly. "You cannot learn to implant thoughts and images into another's mind until you have developed your third tomoe."

Predictably, Kusabana was disappointed. Kurohyou, on the other hand, was oddly thoughtful.

Then Kisame spoke.

"Don't look so down, brat," the blue-haired nin remarked good naturedly as their mother started to look up from her completed examination of the two unconscious fishermen.

"Your father's nifty little trick mostly only works with civilians." He tapped his own temple with a forefinger. "Their minds are not as well protected as ours; any nin worth their salt would be able to resist the memory alteration, though I suppose that the Sharingan could slyly slip incorrect suggestions into an opponent's mind, and your father is certainly powerful enough to alter the recollections of some of the weaker nin out there."

"So how do we learn to protect our minds?" Kurohyou asked immediately.

"Can I evolve my Sharingan as quickly as possible to learn that mind trick?!" Kusabana asked at the same time.

The difference between the twins was startlingly obvious at that moment. It was apparent that Kuro was the more cautious child and was already learning that sometimes defense would be the best offense, and that it was always better to learn ways to counter rather than attack.

Kusabana, on the other hand, was just as anxious to learn as well, although it was clear that he was a lot more interested in being on the offensive and just as eager to learn any jutsu that would help further his fledgling mischief-making career.

His mother was quick to put a stop to that particular notion, of course.

"Absolutely not," Sakura declared firmly before Kisame could provide an appropriate answer. "You are only three, Kusa. It's bad enough that you have already activated the Sharingan; none of you are allowed to evolve your kekkei genkai until you are older." The kunoichi's tone was one that was not to be trifled with, and her sons obeyed her meekly. Their mama was sweet-tempered and a pushover most of the time, but both boys had been unfortunate enough to meet Inner Sakura before and none of them wanted to risk evoking that terrifying, wrathful entity that had promised to spank their bottoms black and blue the next time she saw them again.

However, that didn't mean they were about to give up just like that.

"Kaa-san, but can we still have Kisame-san teach us how to strengthen our minds?" Kuro asked as politely as he could, blatantly ignoring his pouting sibling.

Sakura paused, seeing no harm in that particular lesson. She nodded reluctantly, and her eldest beamed at her with pure delight. Kuro was always such a curious and eager learner. It didn't take long for Kusa to pick up on his brother's stunningly successful 'ask and you shall receive' strategy.

"Kaa-san," the youngest asked as nicely as he could. "Can we have Otou-san show us how to evolve the Sharingan as well?"

It shouldn't be a surprise when the long-haired boy got a resounding 'no' from his mother. Kusa sulked adorably but his Kaa-san was simply heartless. She tended to Hitoyama and Ishizue instead, and in the end, the little boy wandered over to his father instead.

"Otou-san," Kusa whispered in a conspirational tone to his father, who happened to be watching their mother as she fussed over the two unconscious men. Kusa observed his father for a brief moment and decided that Otou-san probably didn't like Hitoyama-san and Ishizue-san, too, but then quickly forgot about his observations when his father switched his attention to him. Aniki was over at the other side of the living area, already subtly pestering Kisame-san to explain the principles behind a nin's ability to use chakra to protect his mind.

Kusa stared hopefully at his father, and onyx met onyx.

"Can you persuade Kaa-san to let us learn, even if for just a little bit?"

Itachi looked at the expectant expression of his youngest son. At last he spoke.

"Your mother is right." Kusa deflated pitifully as his very last hope withered away. "Your body currently does not hold enough chakra to support a second stage Sharingan." The elder Uchiha paused, and then spoke again. "Expand your chakra reserves first."

Kusa understood what his father was trying to tell him almost immediately. The boy lit up with unconcealed delight. In his own way, his father had just given him a hint!

"Alright, Otou-san!" Kusa chirped with childish pleasure. "Kisame-san says that tree climbing exercises are great for improving our chakra control, as well as expanding our reserves." Itachi nodded once in confirmation, and then his boy was literally glowing with excitement. The elder Uchiha could not remember a time when he had been this happy just to be able to learn a new jutsu—nin arts were but tools to increase one's abilities, after all—but Kusa's pleasure was guilelessly genuine, and for some reason it made something stir within the tall raven-haired male, to know that this happy, intelligent and curious boy was his son.

"I will tell aniki, and then we will go outside to practice once Kisame-san is done explaining about the mental protection!!" Kusabana had paid attention after all, and after thanking his father for lending his help with a brilliant little grin, the child turned and scampered towards his brother and teacher.

Sakura moved beside him then, finally returning to stand by him now that she had made the two fishermen as comfortable as she could.

"I heard that, and you really shouldn't undermine my authority with the boys. They are going to be running off to you to complain about their terrible Kaa-san from now on." Her voice was dry, but there was no heat behind her quiet admonishment. How could she, when the way he was interacting with their sons never failed to make her eyes soften? Itachi would make a good father with time, she knew; he would never make the same mistakes that his own father had once committed, and she, too, would be nothing like his mother—weak and subservient to her husband and clan, unable to protect her children when they most needed it.

Itachi glanced quietly at her. She didn't seem to be jealous that their sons were beginning to turn to him for guidance as well, as surprising a concept it still was to him, their eyes filled with such innocent faith and belief in him just because he was their father. It was strangely empowering. In fact, Sakura appeared amused and at ease, confident of her own standing with the children and completely content for him to take up some of the parental responsibilities.

Her eyes met his silently querying ones, and her brow lifted in question. She was relaxed and open, certainly a lot more so compared to more than three years ago, and he came to the conclusion that motherhood suited her perfectly. She watched over their sons with careful eyes, her love for the children obvious in the way she cared for them and at last he had to admit to himself that there was no one else he would rather have to be the mother of his children.

She was indeed worthy of his protection—worthy enough to be his.

_You are the only one I want_, she had told him tremulously, the love in her eyes so blatant and unafraid that even he could not mistake it for what it was.

For him, she would have willingly given her life—had almost given her life, and it was something that he would never forget for as long as he lived.

And so he had made up his mind.

_You are the only one I will have._

* * *

The Hitoyama and Ishizue fiasco passed quickly without much fuss. The men woke up hours later, dazed and a little disorientated, but other than that, they were no worse for wear. To the children's amazement, they really didn't seem to remember anything about their outrageous courting antics and throughout their short visitation at the house were completely cordial and very polite to their parents. It was beyond amazing, and Kusabana was even more eager to expand his chakra reserves to evolve his Sharingan just so that his father could teach him to do the same thing too.

At last the fishermen left, still mildly confused as to why they had visited in the first place, but nonetheless had promised to bring more seafood over the next time, since the children enjoyed them so much, much to Sakura's chagrin.

And so life went on, and a month flew by quickly. Poor Kisame was becoming rather fed up with the small couch that he had been sleeping on, and in the end, Sakura suggested that they expand the rather modest two bedroom cottage, seeing that there was plenty of space available. Kisame had leapt upon the idea immediately, and a plan to add three more rooms as well as a larger kitchen and living area was born.

Sakura left all the expansion planning to Kisame, who was beginning to reveal a hidden talent in architectural design and building, much to everyone's surprise. The blue-haired nin was startlingly efficient too, and within less than a week, the construction began with great aplomb.

To be honest, it had been quite a surprise in itself that Kisame had chosen to remain instead of going his own way after this Akatsuki fiasco, but then Sakura realized that for the blue-haired nin, the thrill of the kill may have worn out already. Since he was already a legend in his own right, there was no longer the need to go out to prove himself as fiercely as he once had. Danger was no longer as intoxicating, and now that he was in his forties and no longer as hotheaded as he once was in his youth, he had learnt to pick his battles wisely.

Besides, he had now somehow become the boys' sensei, a position that seemed to amuse and occupy him when he wasn't out training or sparring with his recovering partner. For all their difference in characters, Kurohyou and Kusabana were keen learners and devoured every bit of knowledge that Kisame thought to impart to them. Kusabana was just as diligent as his brother in terms of continuous practice, despite his penchant for mischief, and Kurohyou would learn everything that the shark man had taught to them with no complaints whatsoever. Although he would never admit it, even on threat of death, Kisame was pleased to have such intelligent and hardworking students learning under him, young as they were.

Sakura continued to help around the civilian village, and eventually everyone was aware of her 'husband's' miraculous reappearance, as well as the renovations going on at the cottage. Being a close knit community, the men in the village were quick to offer their aid; 'Midori-san' had helped look after most of their health at one time or another and they were more than pleased to be able to return her kind favor, if only for a little bit. Of course, this led the womenfolk to drop by as well, bringing food and drinks to their men and generally glad for the little get-together to gossip as well as to see for themselves their healer's handsome husband.

By now Itachi was mostly recovered from his extensive injuries and was beginning to put on some healthy weight again, much to Sakura's relief. The Uchiha was surprisingly cordial to the visiting villagers; these were the people who had helped Sakura in one way or another for the past years in his absence and for that, he would tolerate them. He stoically bore through all the exclamations of how he looked so very alike to his sons, as well as the many other questions directed to him by the curious females.

In the end, Sakura had to rescue him from the womenfolk. As passive as he appeared to be at the moment, there was just no telling when he would become annoyed with all these unwanted attention heaped upon him and she promptly sent him off to where the men were. The village men were helping the 'family friend' (Kisame had long since resigned himself to being known as such) and were, of course, pleased to welcome the man of the house into their midst, never mind that said male never did talk much and preferred to get his work done quietly and efficiently, unlike said family friend who gamely participated in the men's banter, laughing uproariously at raucous jokes and behaving completely at home with the villagers.

Even Kusabana and Kurohyou tried to help by ferrying food and water between the men and the kitchen, even occasionally being allowed the rare treat of playing with the sharp tools, under supervision, of course. With so many people helping out, the wooden frame of the new wing of the cottage was ready by the end of the day, and by dusk, everyone returned home, pleased and satisfied that they had helped with the building and promising that they would return to help again if called.

Sakura had demurred, thanking them for their kind aid and telling them to focus on their own livelihood instead. These folks were mostly simple fishermen, after all; a day without going out to sea meant a loss in precious earnings and Sakura refused to have them sacrifice that, especially since there were nin who were more than capable of completing the rest of the constructions. All three of them could probably finish building the house faster than all the villagers combined.

And so that night, the real work began.

With the aid of dozens of Kage Bunshin and some basic elemental jutsu, the building began with earnest again. The boys had been completely ecstatic by the visual treats the ninja arts had provided, and Kusabana had pestered Kisame to teach him the jutsu to which the shark man had said 'no', because his chakra supply was still too little and besides, their mother would probably poison his food if he dared to teach them katon jutsu at the age of three, Uchiha or no.

Then Kusa had enquired as to why Kisame appeared to be so afraid of their mother, who was a girl and a healer to boot, and therefore, considered by the young boy to be gentle and helpless and thus needed to be protected at all times. Kisame had stared at the child with great incredulity but had at last decided that the boy could not be blamed because he and his brother had probably never seen their 'gentle and helpless' mother fight before. It was also apparent that the chauvinistic Uchiha streak was beginning to surface within the boys (true Uchiha, indeed,) though Kisame doubted that particular trait would last very long with Sakura's presence.

Their father, who had been nearby monitoring the progress of the bunshin, had also heard Kusabana's careless remark. As cryptic as usual, Itachi had merely cautioned his sons that appearances could be deceiving. Kurohyou had taken his father's words seriously but Kusabana had cheerfully waved it off, at least until an hour later when he was staring gape mouthed at the huge tree that his mother had just uprooted _bare handedly_.

The tree had been in the way of the construction, and in the end, a smirking Kisame had asked the kunoichi to use her inhuman strength to move the tree out of the way. Sakura had obliged; she hadn't managed to help much anyway and had been more than pleased to lend a hand. Or rather, two hands.

Focusing her chakra was an act as natural as breathing to her, and with a simple heave the tall tree was immediately plucked out from its roots and left dangling in Sakura's hands.

The look on her children's faces was so amusing that Kisame promptly burst into laughter.

"Still think that your mother is a gentle and helpless maiden?" the blue-haired nin asked as he chortled. Sakura had dumped the tree to the side by now, and a bunshin was preparing to harvest wood from its trunk.

Kusabana had to pick his jaw up from the ground. Then, he gestured frantically at his mother.

"Ka- Kaa-san!!" The youngest child sputtered. "We never saw you like…like this before!!"

Sakura stared at her sons, but before she could say a word Kisame cut in.

"Your mother is a kunoichi as well, silly boy. Did you think that she healed her enemies to death?"

The blue-haired Kiri-nin promptly got glared at by said kunoichi for his choice of words. Her sons, to her dismay, appeared completely impressed.

"You have killed before, Mother?" Kurohyou asked solemnly, his onyx eyes regarding his mother with great seriousness. Sakura dusted the bits of tree bark stuck to her hands as she hurried over to her sons, and then she knelt before her two boys.

There was no choice but to admit to the truth, and at last she nodded, staring at them intently to judge their reaction.

Kuro frowned. "But you said before that killing is wrong." Kaa-san was contradicting herself!

Sakura nodded with agreement even as Kisame snorted softly with derision in the background. She ignored the darned shark man, as well as the silent, raven-haired male who was her lover, watching her interaction with the children quietly from a distance away, from the corner of his eyes.

"Killing _is_ wrong," Sakura confirmed as she stared deeply into her sons' eyes, willing them to understand the seriousness of the matter. Even Kusabana quieted down at his mother's look. "But sometimes you don't have a choice, and in order to protect your precious people you have to make difficult decisions. Do you understand, boys?"

Kusa screwed up his face in serious thought. Then he looked at his mama. "So you are saying that killing is wrong but sometimes you have to do it all the same?"

Kuro stared at his brother. "Kaa-san did not mean it that way," the older boy muttered before his mother could correct his otouto. "She means that we should not kill unless we have no choice, if we have to protect our precious people. But that does not mean it is the correct thing to do."

Sakura nodded with approval, but Kusabana's frown only deepened. "I think I'm confused," the boy admitted at last. Kisame snorted again, but refrained from saying a thing. The little Leaf was pinning too much moral responsibility on the boys; they were going to be so busy trying to figure out what was right and wrong and would not be able to notice in time when the real enemy crept up from behind for the kill.

The kunoichi merely smiled wryly at her sons, not at all disappointed that they had not gotten completely her teachings right away. "That's alright; you are not supposed to understand now, anyway. When you are older, I will explain again."

There were solemn nods from the two boys, and then Kusabana quickly forgot about the whole accident. "Kaa-san, how did you carry that tree up like that? Can we do it too?!"

The boys' excitement was promptly revived and the somber topic quickly forgotten. In the end, Sakura had sat the boys aside as she explained the simple basis behind her immense strength, and yet another lesson in chakra manipulation occurred as the men worked steadily with the Kage Bunshin. Kurohyou and Kusabana listened intently to their mother's lecture, but predictably, started to lose interest after fifteen minutes or so of Sakura's teachings and no demonstrations, as interesting as it seemed to their mother.

In the end, the boys went off to see what their father and Kisame could let them do, and Sakura watched as they went on to pester a Kisame bunshin. The kunoichi watched with amusement as they prodded and talked to the exasperated Kisame copy, whereas the real one was busy hiding somewhere far away from the twins. Then, Kurohyou went over to Itachi, and the solemn little boy watched his father as the elder Uchiha calmly did his share of the work.

"Can I help you, Otou-san?" Kuro asked at last. Itachi had been sawing planks into an exact length for the bunshin to build the foundation of the floors, and he glanced up at his son's question.

Then wordlessly, he pointed to the small pieces of discarded wood scattered around him. Kurohyou understood immediately, and one of his father's bunshin handed him a small sack. The larger pieces of wood could be used as tinder for kindling fires, and the boy started to pick up the leftover materials. After awhile, Kusa wandered over to join in the collecting.

Work went smoothly for the next hour or so; then it was getting late and Sakura shooed the reluctant children back into the house and to bed. Then, after making sure that the boys were asleep and would not sneak out to play again, she went back outside with some food and water. Both Kisame and Itachi were still hard at work, and when she asked if there was anything she could do to help, the blue-haired Kiri-nin had merely gave her that toothy smile of his and told her to just leave all the work to the real men.

Exasperated, the kunoichi refrained from saying anything regarding that particular 'manly' topic, reminded the men about the refreshments sitting by the makeshift stack of planks/table, reminded them not to overdo it, and then retreated back into the house to turn in for the night. She still had rounds to make around the village tomorrow morning, after all.

Itachi came in roughly an hour or so before it was time for her to awaken; Sakura felt him enter the bed, his lean form fitting itself against hers as he moved to draw her to him. His fresh rainwater scent was apparent to her senses, and so was his slightly shower-dampened body as he pressed against her. She did not resist his familiar actions though, and allowed herself to be sleepily draped over him like a living blanket, his long fingers running over her body as always, as if checking her over for injuries or abnormalities.

She sighed softly, and curled her own fingers loosely into his shirt, nuzzling her face against his neck briefly before settling back into deep slumber, vaguely aware of his lips grazing lightly against her ear in return, his warm breath brushing gently against her temple.

Her contentment was complete, at least for the next hour or so.

Sakura was loathed to leave the warmth of her futon and lover when it was finally time to awaken. She was curled around him completely and was feeling so very languid and relaxed that she really had no wish to crawl out of bed to start a new day. But her obligations called out loudly to her, and in the end she stirred reluctantly, a soft sigh escaping from her throat as her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim morning light streaming through the bedroom windows.

Not surprisingly, her tiny movement jostled Itachi awake. He opened his eyes immediately, muscles tensing slightly with wariness and she quickly murmured an apology to him. "I need to fix breakfast for the boys," she explained, voice soft and husky from sleep, and after a gentle nuzzle against his jawbone she slipped out from his grasp with surprisingly nimbleness and climbed out of bed.

She got through her morning rituals swiftly and felt a lot more awake after washing her face with the icy waters from Nami's natural springs. Walking out of the bathroom soundlessly, she went over to the windows to pull the curtains shut; Itachi was asleep again and she took great care not to disturb his rest. She shut the door quietly behind her as she exited the bedroom, and then she padded over to the expansion area to take a look at how much work they had done throughout the night.

To her surprise, the concrete walls and frames for the windows were already completed and the roof partially done. At the rate they were going, the construction work was going to be completed by the end of the week at most. Sakura retreated to the kitchen to prepare breakfast next, careful not to disturb a snoring Kisame as she passed by the living area. Breakfast was a simple, traditional fare of porridge, some light dishes, and miso soup, and predictably enough, her boys woke up almost as soon as the food was ready.

Sakura cautioned them not to make much noise this morning, explaining that both Kisame and their father needed to rest and that they would follow her around the village to make her rounds, and if there was still any spare time left she would personally oversee to their chakra exercises when they returned. The boys certainly had no objections against today's plans, and were more than happy to visit the village with their mother. Breakfast passed by quickly, and after Sakura cleared the table and washed the dishes, she made sure to leave a note on the kitchen table for the men, informing them of their whereabouts as well as to let them know of the food that she had already prepared that would only need to be warmed up for consumption.

Then she was ready to leave, the medical supplies all packed and ready, both her sons cleaned and dressed up for a day's foray into the village, and she herself eager to start seeing her patients. The boys were surprisingly docile and followed their mother obediently and without arguing too much. Sakura decided that it was probably still too early, and the climate around Nami was always too god awful frigid in the early mornings to spare energy for any fruitless actions.

Still, that didn't prevent Kusabana from happily chattering away to his mostly unresponsive aniki, who happened to be quite content to remain quiet and toasty and bundled up in his thick outerwear. In the end, it was Sakura who responded more to her youngest son, whereas Kurohyou walked silently by her other side, responding only occasionally to the conversation that his mother and sibling were having.

It was beginning to turn out to be a rather enjoyable walk after all—

Then there was a most familiar _pop_.

Kurohyou stopped as he felt a small weight appear on his head. The young boy sighed at the familiar occurrence.

"Yo, boss. Do you have sweets for me?"

"Gamakichi," Kurohyou muttered as his hand came up to pluck the little frog from his head. Sakura and Kusabana stopped and turned to look at the small summon as well. "Why do you always choose my head to land on?"

The little orange frog shrugged as Kuro brought it to eye level. The children were used to the comings and goings of the animal summons, having grown up around Gamakichi as well as a handful of Katsuyu's children and even Pak-kun as they passed along messages from Tsunade baa-san, Kakashi jii-chan, and Naruto jii-chan to their mother and back. The boys had their share of communication with the nin from Konoha, at least from those who were aware of their existence that is, and although they had never seen any of their god-family recently, they sure had heard a lot from them.

Resigned, Kurohyou withdrew a small piece of soft candy from his pocket, unwrapped it slowly with one hand and then fed it to the talkative little frog. Gamakichi chirped his appreciation and Kusabana rolled his eyes.

"You are always feeding him, aniki. Of course he would land on you every time he comes to visit." Then the long-haired boy looked curiously at Gamabunta's mouthy son. "So what do you have for us today, Gamakichi? You haven't visited for quite awhile."

It was true; the last time Gamakichi dropped by was when Naruto had asked him to relay to Sakura the news of Akatsuki's defeat.

The intelligent orange amphibian looked at the youngest Uchiha.

"Hey, don't blame me," the chipper frog retorted. "Naruto didn't summon me, so I couldn't come. Anyways, the big boss wants me to tell you guys that they had managed to find a way to permanently seal the bijuu into a dormant state. Now that the Akatsuki are destroyed, Tsunade wants to reinstate Sakura as an active kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato." The little Gama did not look at Sakura as he rattled off the remainder of the message.

"Team Seven is on their way here now to bring all of you back to Konoha."

_

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_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

This chapter seems almost idyllic; a day in the life of the Uchiha family, minus the terrified fishermen duo, that is. Sakura is in healer-mode, the children are up to some mischief, Itachi is his usual quiet self, and Kisame is in a henge so as not to scare off the neighbors… Yup, very normal. Almost.

Anyway, drama will come in by the bucket loads in the next update, so things will definitely be picking up, for those who are about bored to death with normalcy, because normal is overrated and our lives are all boring like that.

…which is why there are sites like FF Net, and the fact that I'm diligently updating fics every few days must indicate what a no lifer I am.

…

That's enough of insulting myself, and inadvertently some (maybe even more) of my readers too.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I have received quite a few similar questions from reviewers, namely if Kusabana and Kurohyou had seen their mother in her true form before, and if Sakura was ever going to return to her original form anytime soon. Well, to answer those queries, Sakura had always been in her original form; she had never placed a genjutsu over herself. Her brunette hair was a result of a simple dye job, and her blue eyes a matter of using colored contacts. Nami no Kuni may be a civilian country and all, but pink hair and captivating emerald eyes are not exactly the most inconspicuous features to have when one is supposed to be in hiding. In other words, other than for a difference in hair and eye color, Sakura looks exactly the same as her normal self. However, the twins had seen before pictures of their mother when she was younger; pink hair, green eyes, wide forehead and all.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	17. Chapter 17

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 7520

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 07/06/08

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Chapter 17

* * *

Five days later, Uzumaki Naruto was squinting hard at his godsons as they all stood by the entrance of their cottage home.

Team Seven had just arrived, having pressed hard for Nami after completing a side errand for the Fire Daimyo. Naruto had urged the other two remaining members of Team Seven to go as quickly as possible, much to Sasuke's annoyance and Kakashi's exasperation. The former was not looking forward to his second meeting with his nephews at all; despite having extracted his revenge already, any reminder of the elder Uchiha was still completely unwelcome. The latter was somewhat neutral about the whole trip; the silver-haired Jounin wanted to see Sakura and her sons of course, but he was in no way as desperate or as excited as Naruto was.

In the end, the blond got his way all the same, as per usual. No one was willing to tolerate Naruto's continuous whining for long, and they had pushed on for Nami just so that he would shut up. They arrived at noon, standing before the familiar cottage from more than one and a half years ago, and Naruto had done the honors, rapping smartly on the closed door.

The blond was anxious to see his heart's sister again, and he all but twitched with impatience as he waited for her to answer the door. Beside him stood a more relaxed Kakashi, and well behind was Sasuke, who appeared as if he would like nothing more than to be anywhere but here.

At long last, the door opened and without a moment's pause, the words that Naruto had been waiting so long to say flew out of his mouth.

"Sakura-chan!! I missed you so much!" The exuberant blond would have leapt over to engulf his female teammate in a crushing hug, but unfortunately, she was not there.

Kurohyou stared at the tall, blond man with the whiskered face with undisguised curiosity. Then, his gaze went over to the silver-haired nin with the hitai-ite draped lopsidedly over one eye, and then lastly to the silent, spiky raven-haired male who looked so much like his own father.

There was no doubt in his mind just who they were. Kaa-san's descriptions of them were always so vivid that it was simply impossible for him to mistake this group of people.

"…Naruto jii-chan?"

Naruto _beamed_.

"Kuro! You remembered me!" the blond crowed with pride.

Little three-year old Kurohyou could only stare at the ridiculously happy man. Then, there was a movement at the corner of his eyes, and the elder twin looked to see his brother coming towards him, attracted by the commotion outside.

"Who's there?" Kusabana asked as he too peeked out of the doorway. Predictably, his onyx eyes widened slightly with recognition. "Naruto jii-chan? Kakashi jii-chan? Sasuke jii-chan? You are here already?"

Naruto puffed up like a bullfrog. "You remembered me too, Kusa!!"

Kakashi smiled that inverted U smile of his, and waved halfheartedly at the boys. "Saa, the two of you have grown a lot."

Sasuke, on the other hand, jerked imperceptibly at the affectionate 'jii-chan' address. Out of the three male members of Team Seven, he had been the only one who had refused to maintain contact with the boys and Sakura, and it was certainly a surprise that his nephews actually recognized him. As the boys stepped into view, their resemblance to Itachi was almost startling. Yet their hairstyles were different from that of their father or himself, and it was apparent that their personalities were nothing like their parent as well.

As if to reiterate his point, the younger Kusabana stared at his Naruto jii-chan strangely. "Kaa-san is right," the boy announced at last. "You really are an idiot, Naruto jii-chan."

The blond could only stare at the little boy with shock. Then before he could say a word, Kakashi nodded gravely in agreement. "You are right, Kusabana-kun. Naruto has this…unfortunate habit."

Sasuke snorted under his breath, relaxing slightly now that it seemed he had nothing to worry about in the first place.

The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki frowned in protest. "Hey!"

Then Sakura appeared, looking rather frazzled as she came to see just who her sons were talking to.

Now at the age of twenty-five, Sakura was at the peak of her life. Her dyed brunette hair and artificial blue contacts failed to hide her vibrant personality; she was blooming with good health, her eyes aglow with life, her cheeks pink with youthfulness, and her movements confident and self-assured. The little Genin kunoichi from so long ago had grown into a beautiful woman, and the look of joy on her face was unmistakable as she saw Team Seven.

"Naruto! Kakashi! Sasuke!" She hurried out of her house and proceeded to engulf Naruto in a tight hug. Naruto, of course, was more than happy to return the favor twofold until Kurohyou observed that he was strangling their mother.

Sakura smiled widely at Kakashi, and then more hesitantly at Sasuke, after she was finally set back upon her feet.

"I'm really glad that all of you are here," she spoke sincerely. Naruto grinned.

"I'm glad to see you again as well, Sakura-chan! And boy, are the brats a lot bigger compared to the last time I saw them." The blond glanced at the two boys standing by their mother's side. "Now that the Akatsuki is gone, I will be able to see you guys more often, my godsons!"

Then, Naruto seemed to have realized that he had blurted out a sensitive topic. He looked at Sakura, whose eyes seemed to have dimmed slightly. The children looked quietly at their mother, the depth of their perception startling even at the young age of three. But Sakura smiled slightly, and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you will definitely be able to see us more often, Naruto. Come on in, all of you must be very tired by now."

Sakura stepped aside and ushered the travel weary men into the house. Her sons trailed behind the Jounin, staring at the three men with blatant curiosity the entire while.

Kakashi noticed the changes immediately, not to mention the smell of fresh paint and newly polished wood floors.

"You expanded the cottage?" the silver-haired Jounin asked, and Sakura nodded.

"There are three more rooms now; one of which is for me to consult my patients, another for one of the boys when they grow up, and the last as a guest room. They were just completed only recently though, so you guys are in luck."

Kakashi glanced around as they reached the living area. There was nothing out of the ordinary; shelves of books, some children's toys kept neatly in a box in the corner, the entire design of the house warm and inviting.

Naruto frowned at the newly improved cottage.

"Sakura-chan, you received Gamakichi's message, right?"

Sakura nodded as she gestured for the men to make themselves at home. Kakashi went to the couch, Sasuke claimed the armchair, and Naruto went to sit beside the older Jounin. Kurohyou stuck to his mother like a burr as she went into the kitchen to prepare some refreshments and Kusabana went off to sit himself beside Naruto.

"Of course I received Gamakichi's message." Sakura's muffled voice floated out from the kitchen as she collected cups and made tea. She came out soon enough, balancing a tray of green tea, whereas Kurohyou came up behind her, holding a plate of biscuits carefully in his small hands. The boy offered the biscuits to the Jounin. Naruto popped a piece into his mouth and took another, Kakashi took one just to be polite, and Sasuke declined the offer. Then Kusabana promptly relieved his brother of the entire plate and between himself and Naruto, finished everything in sight.

Kurohyou merely sighed and returned to his mother's side, who was now seated on the loveseat. He eyed the adults calmly, but mostly stared at his blood uncle, the stocky, broody male who had the same looks that marked them all as Uchiha. Kaa-san had told them specifically never to say anything about their father and Kisame-san to the trio visiting today, and it appeared to the boys that there seemed to be some sort of bad blood between the two sides, though their mother certainly hadn't wanted to explain more in detail. But Kurohyou was an obedient boy, and so he would obey his mother. Kusabana took a little more convincing, but in the end, both children had promised not to breathe a word about their father's return or anything else regarding their parent or sensei.

"You do know that we came here to bring you and the twins back to Konoha, right?" Naruto asked. "Baa-chan wants to reinstate you as a kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato now that Madara is dead and she wants you to enroll your children into the Academy as well. I mean, when they are older, of course. All the paperwork is ready for your return and you won't be 'dead' to us anymore."

Sakura nodded.

"I know."

Naruto looked at the calm façade on Sakura's face with mild incomprehension. Kakashi was eying her intently and even Sasuke looked up to gauge her intentions.

"Then? Why did you renovate your cottage? Your stay here isn't permanent, you know?" Naruto asked. "You can return to Konoha now, to see everybody back home and it would be just like before, and when we return-"

"Naruto." Sakura interrupted the blond before he could get too excited. His uncomprehending blue eyes met hers, and she looked at him so solemnly that he knew immediately what she was going to say next he would definitely not like to hear.

"Sakura-chan-!"

"I'm not going back to Konoha."

There was a stunned silence from Team Seven, and to everyone's surprise, Sasuke was the one to speak first.

"Why not?" the Uchiha asked, his onyx eyes meeting hers straight on. "You belong to Konoha."

Naruto was too shocked to say anything. He could only stare at his heart's sister with something akin to hurt betrayal, and Sakura shook her head at her blond best friend.

"Don't look at me like that, Naruto." She spoke gently, but her decision was firm. "It's true that Konoha will always be my home, but I cannot leave Nami no Kuni just like that," Sakura explained.

"Why not?!" the blond burst out at last. "We waited so long for you to return to us, Sakura-chan; you belong with us, in Konoha! Not here!!"

"I have an obligation to these civilians here, Naruto-"

"They survived without you before; they will survive without your help again!!"

"They helped me whenever I needed aid with the boys. They may be simple folks but they are kind and helpful people too, and I do not wish to abandon them just like that."

"But Sakura-chan-!"

The kunoichi gave Naruto a stern look.

"One of the village females, Saya-san, is expecting her first baby and is very near her due date. Am I supposed to just leave her to deliver her baby by herself?"

At that, Naruto kept quiet. Even Kakashi was silently thoughtful and Sasuke merely stared at them, wondering about the story behind the blond's sudden lack of protests. Then, he remembered hearing about Sakura's difficulties whilst birthing the twins, and how she would have died if not for the Fifth's aid.

"…no." Naruto admitted at last, looking slightly defeated. He perked up again soon enough though. "Then what about you come back to us after this Saya-san gives birth? You won't feel that guilty if you left after you helped her, right? You can leave with your conscience intact, right?"

The gentle, yet unwavering, look Sakura gave him made Naruto's excitement deflate.

"I like to help the people here, Naruto." The kunoichi spoke the truth from the bottom of her heart. "People from the surrounding villages have come to me for help too, and I…" She looked at her heart's brother with such sincerity that the blond just could not find it within him to openly show her his disappointment. "I'm happy here, Naruto."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then Sakura continued, speaking in a rush as if she would not be allowed this chance to explain herself again if she stopped. "I will visit Konoha as often as I can, of course, and anyway, when the boys are older they are going to have to return to take their Genin exams as well and I— I'm not cutting all ties from Konoha, Naruto." Her eyes pleaded for him to understand. "I just feel that I will be a lot more useful here. I _know_ that I will be a lot more useful here, in this simple little civilian village, doing what I love most."

It was like almost four years ago again, when she had entered the clearing by herself, asking for them not to hurt the father of her children.

In his shock and overwhelming disappointment, Naruto had turned away from his heart's sister when she needed his faith in her the most, and Naruto could not help but feel that she was doing it again—doing something that he didn't understand the reason for and doing something he didn't want her to.

But her choices made her happy, just like how he had seen her quiet, steady love for the deceased elder Uchiha shine in her eyes when they had talked about him the last time he had visited here. Sakura did everything with all her heart; that was what made her so special to him in the first place.

He really didn't have the right to force her back, especially when she felt so strongly about remaining here. But still, the daydreams that had gotten him going during the worst of the Akatsuki wars refused to die. Dreams of Team Seven together again, dreams of helping to look after the two brats, dreams of Sakura-chan attending his wedding with his dear Hinata…

It was hard to throw all those wistful musings away…but then again, maybe he didn't have to, after all.

"You sure you will visit?" He swallowed down the hard lump in his throat and asked. Almost four years ago, Naruto had nearly betrayed his Sakura-chan because he could not stand by her decision. He would not make the same mistake ever again. Even if it hurt him to do so, he would smile and nod his head in agreement with her choices as long as she was happy.

It was also something that need not be said; the death of Uchiha Itachi must have hit her hard. Naruto would never forget the way her eyes had softened when it came to the topic of her lover, and the fact that she cared for the elder Uchiha enough to protect him from her country and to even have his children with no regrets whatsoever spoke a lot for her devotion to him.

Sakura might not look like it now, but she was probably hurting badly as well. They would never know of Uchiha Itachi's intentions towards Sakura-chan now, but the fact that he had tried to protect her and their children by sending them away from the Akatsuki had spoke a lot for him as well. And now, she would never know if her devotion had been reciprocated by him, and yet here she was, probably grieving for her loss as well as that of her children, yet having to put on a brave face for her teammates—the same people who had helped orchestrate the plan to kill her lover.

Suddenly, a small sliver of understanding occurred to the Uzumaki.

Maybe it was just too soon to return home right now, and Sakura just needed more time.

Naruto could understand that, the need for some space. If she returned now, she would be overwhelmed by people who would want to know about the circumstances behind her supposed 'death', not to mention the additional stress of having to deal with all the rumors and hearsay about the paternity of her sons. It would be better for her to return at a later date, when she was no longer as stressed and burdened by the care of her still young children.

Naruto's hesitant question nearly made Sakura smile at him with silent gratefulness. He understood.

"Just what kind of question is that? Of course I will visit."

"Have you informed Hokage-sama of your decision, Sakura?" Practical as ever, Kakashi had asked the most important question at hand. Sakura's unwillingness to return to Konoha would not matter at all if Tsunade wanted her back no matter what. They would have no choice but to obey their Hokage, and the kunoichi knew that she would be dragged back even if she didn't want to.

She nodded.

"I sent a message to her through one of Katsuyu's children a couple of days ago," Sakura admitted quietly. Then a wry smile appeared on her face. "Shishou nearly blew a gasket, but in the end, I think she understood my position."

After all, Tsunade herself had left the village for an indeterminate period of time, after the deaths of her brother and lover. "I consulted with her regarding Saya-san, and she wants me to return to visit with the boys after there are not as many things for me to do here."

It was obvious that Sakura had thought this out carefully, and Naruto knew that she would not be changing her mind anytime soon. As disappointed as he felt, the quiet resolve in her eyes made Naruto feel so proud of his heart's sister. Sakura had really grown up into a beautiful and self-possessed woman, she was so strong and Naruto was so very proud of her.

The blond Jinchuuriki managed a large, albeit shaky smile. Kakashi merely nodded, completely satisfied by her reply. The Hatake was more interested in his current surroundings; instincts were telling him that there was something slightly off about this area but he didn't seem to be able to detect anything amiss. His single eye narrowed slightly in consideration, and then he dismissed it eventually, putting his concerns aside to be analyzed later.

Sasuke grunted.

"Do we return to Konoha now?"

Naruto looked incredulously at his teammate. "What? Hell no! We were given two weeks here and I fully intend to enjoy every day until we have to go back!"

Sasuke snorted. "Dobe. Konoha is running behind the other villages in terms of mission quotas. Hunting down the Akatsuki took a lot of manpower, and now we have to make up for it by working doubly hard. We are wasting time here."

The callous mention of Akatsuki made Sakura flinch slightly, and her action was not missed.

But Naruto refused to budge.

"Are you kidding? It's only for two weeks, and god knows when we will get to see Sakura-chan again! Besides, we need a vacation, and baa-chan would have called us back if she needed us. And don't you want to spend some time with your nephews at all, you sour bastard?"

Sasuke glared at the insulting nickname. Sakura too, was glaring but for a different reason.

"Naruto! Don't use vulgar language before my sons!" the female barked sharply. The boys merely stared at the blond in question with quiet fascination.

"Aa, hahahaha! Sorry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment, but quickly regained his fire back. "Hey Sasuke, aren't you always going on and on about how you are a one-man clan and must start rebuilding your family and all that shi—stuff?" Naruto amended hastily at Sakura's frown. "Well, you do have a portion of the Uchiha clan right here, you know?"

The raven-haired male kept silent, and for awhile the atmosphere was completely awkward. Sakura blamed it on Naruto's big mouth, of course; it was not as if he wasn't fully aware of the intense hatred that Sasuke had for Itachi, and Uchiha or no, Kusabana and Kurohyou were still the offspring of his greatly loathed aniki.

Besides, Sasuke had caused Itachi's supposed death. The kunoichi had an inkling that the Uchiha Avenger probably had no wish to look into the innocent eyes of her children when he was their father's killer.

But then Sasuke spoke.

"Stay. Do whatever you want. I care not." His voice was curt, and the twins looked at him with surprise.

Kakashi attempted immediately to diffuse to situation. He smiled at the two little boys.

"Saa, since that's settled, we will stay here for the next fortnight. Kuro-kun, Kusa-kun, is there anything interesting to do around here?"

Kusabana smiled cheerfully at the question. "Well, we train mostly."

At that, Sasuke stiffened, his attention now focused wholly again on the young boys.

"Train?" he asked quietly. Sakura looked at the absorbed expression on the face of her twins' uncle and shifted with mild discomfort.

"Only simple chakra building exercises and basic ninja theory, mostly," Sakura answered quickly before either child could mention anything about their Sharingan. The manifestation of the Uchiha kekkei genkai at such a young age was virtually unheard of, and although Sakura had no idea of how it was related, at all, she was well aware that such an occurrence was synonymous with great genius and foretold of great things to come from the young children in question. Sakura really had no intention of letting Sasuke know about her sons' abilities now; the other Uchiha was greatly suspicious and paranoid, and she didn't want him to view her children as potential threats just like their father, all because they happened to have developed their premature Sharingan thanks to some stroke of sheer, stupid luck.

She had warned the boys not to reveal their Sharingan to the visiting Leaf-nin no matter what happened, and surprisingly enough, so had Itachi. Whereas she had worried that their uncle would resent them, Itachi had foreseen a more dangerous situation. There was no doubt that Team Seven would report to their Hokage everything they knew when they returned, and if the news of the boys and their stunning potential did leak out, it was very possible that organizations like Danzo's Ne would be most interested in procuring the kids into their own hands. Young and impressionable, not to mention brimming with the supreme bloodline of the Uchiha clan, as evidenced by their early awakening of the Sharingan, there would be a lot of shady characters interested in their sons.

It was also yet another reason why Sakura had decided not to return to Konoha. It would be hard to keep a secret like that in a village full of ninjas, and the boys' resemblance to Sasuke was too uncanny for them not to be related. If Sasuke were to make it known that the boys were not fathered by him, there was no doubt in Sakura's mind that all would know just whose genetics her sons had flowing in their veins. There would be so much needless trouble, and genii or no, they were just too young to be exposed to ninja politics. Her babies were still so innocent, and she wanted them to stay that way for as long as she could help it.

"They are going to be home schooled until they are of age to take the Genin exams," Sakura continued to explain. "So I figured that I might as well teach them some things now, slowly, so that they would have a better grasp when they are old enough to learn the more substantial topics to being a ninja."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. It made sense, and Sakura had always been the bookworm of the team from the very beginning, excelling in the theory portion of the Genin exams even better than Sasuke had.

Naruto grinned, impressed. "I didn't know that they were so smart."

Sasuke looked away from his intense scrutiny of the boys at last, much to Sakura's inner relief. He scoffed softly. "You don't know anything. _Rokudaime Hokage-sama_." His sarcasm was obvious, and Naruto scowled.

"Hey!! Take that back, teme!! Before I beat your ass again!!" the blond screeched as he leapt up from his seat, turning red with agitation. Sasuke did not look like he cared one way or another, and Kusabana started to grin, very amused by what was going on. Kurohyou only shook his head, and then spoke.

"Naruto jii-chan, you don't want to fight Sasuke jii-chan here," the young boy commented solemnly.

"And why can't I do that?" Naruto asked, now getting very irritated and offended over the notion that his godson did not think him powerful enough to take on his blood uncle.

Kusabana answered, his grin becoming positively gleeful.

"Kaa-san just tidied up the living room, and she's going to introduce you to a world of pain of you ever dare mess it up."

That made the blond Jinchuuriki pause immediately. He turned to look at Sakura, who was sitting with her arms crossed, a brow arched as if waiting for him to try her. Naruto, thankfully, had still enough brain cells to rub together and had no doubt that Sakura's punches were probably still as painful as ever, if not even more so now.

The blond quickly sank back down onto the sofa obediently, much to Kusabana's giggles.

Kakashi smiled cheerily.

"…so Sakura, anything for lunch?"

* * *

The next week and a half passed by swiftly. The men of Team Seven were each given one of the newly built rooms to stay in, and although there really weren't many things to do in this quiet, somewhat backward civilian village, Naruto was having the time of his life. Kusabana, for all his smart-alecky mouthiness, was starting to show some promise to being an exceptional prankster, and the older blond Jounin was having a great time imparting some of his best trade secrets to pranking, not to mention telling the entranced boy about some of his most fantastic adventures during his reign as Konoha's No. 1 Most Unpredictable Prankster.

Sakura was definitely sensing some trouble ahead in the future for one little Kusabana, but for some reason or another she just could not bring herself to yell at Naruto for corrupting her little boy. Watching how happy her heart's brother looked whilst conspiring with her son never failed to remind her of Naruto's less fortunate circumstance, not to mention how painfully alone he must have been when he was around her sons' age. For an orphan who never had any sort of parental figure until a lot later in his life, Naruto was definitely going to make a great father one day, of that Sakura was very sure—

"Uzumaki Naruto!!" the kunoichi screeched suddenly across the backyard clearing as she started to recognize the first seal that Naruto was performing. "If you ever teach my son that 'Oiroke no Jutsu' of yours I will make sure that you will _never_ have any children of your own!!"

Immediately, Naruto cringed and quickly put his hands back down to his side. Then, he turned and smiled uneasily at her, waving and assuring her that he was not going to try anything funny, much to Kusabana's disappointment. For obvious reasons, Sakura could only thank the heavens that Kurohyou was not as interested in the 'art of pranking' as his younger brother appeared to be.

Sakura shook her head in exasperation and turned back to return to the cottage, the freshly dried clothing that she had been collecting a small heap in her arms. Really, that Naruto. She felt pity for Hinata, as well as the entire Hyuuga clan; any children coming from her fox brother were going to give them even bigger headaches than her twins combined.

As Sakura traipsed into the house; a glance into the living area saw Kurohyou sitting calmly on the couch beside Kakashi-sensei, both reading their respective books. Expectedly, Kurohyou was flipping through one of her medic texts, a dictionary sitting beside his small form to be used as reference every time he found a word he did not understand. The little boy looked gravely dignified as he pored through the large book sitting on his lap, and he tried his best to ignore the hair-raising giggles that would be emitted periodically from the tall male sitting right next to him.

Sakura felt the vein in her forehead throb. Then, she tried to calm down by telling herself repeatedly that Kurohyou had not been perverted by her hentai-reading sensei and was innocently trying to read his own book, thank god. The kunoichi was a lot calmer after a while, but that still did not stop her from reaching for the empty cup sitting on the dining table and hurling it at her sensei's head.

Kakashi easily caught the cup with his index finger, hooking his digit perfectly into the ring of its handle, and then, he looked up reluctantly from his book to stare reproachfully at her approaching form. Kurohyou could only stare at the man, completely impressed. And here he had first thought that he was just a weird guy who loved reading to an unholy degree, though the grown man had refused to tell Kurohyou just what book that orange-covered literature was about.

"Sakura-chan," The masked Jounin tsked sadly. "How could you throw things at your poor, old sensei?"

Sakura was undaunted by that mournful tone. She narrowed her eyes at her sensei. Why were all her teammates so perverted? Following that line of thought, Sakura hesitated to think what the currently absent Sasuke was up to right now.

"Keep reading that…trash in front of my children and you are going to be a poor, old, and hurting sensei when Naruto drags your sorry carcass back to Konoha," Sakura paused, and then added caustically, "_Kakashi-sensei_."

Kakashi's lips twitched, and then he smiled that happy, inverted U smile of his.

"Alright, Sakura. I will only read my book behind your sons from now on."

Sakura was not amused.

"Kakashi!! Don't make me burn that book!"

Her tone indicated that she was going to make good on her promise, and belatedly, Kakashi decided that motherhood had made her even scarier than before. Sigh.

The silver-haired Jounin closed his newest Icha Icha collection and tucked it regretfully into his pouch.

"Yare, yare. I will be a good example to the boys from now on, alright? You can trust me." Kakashi put on his most innocent face, but Sakura was hardly convinced.

Before she could raise her doubts, though, there was a sudden shriek coming from outside, and before Sakura could wonder what happened, a mentally scarred Kusabana came darting into the house.

"Kaa-san!! Kaa-san!!" The little boy ran straight into his mother. Sakura quickly looked over her son. Was he injured? Did something happen? There were no signs of wounds anywhere on his body, though, but even a concerned Kurohyou had climbed down from his seat on the sofa and wandered over to inspect his brother for himself.

"Kaa-san." The little boy's voice was urgent and hushed as he stared at his mother. "Do you know about Naruto jii-chan's secret too?"

Sakura frowned at the question. What secret? It couldn't be that Naruto had actually told the boy about the Nine Tails, could it? But even if it was so, Sakura knew that she had to handle this correctly.

"Well, Kusa," Sakura spoke as seriously as she could. "There is really no need to be scared of Naruto jii-chan. He won't harm you, and it's just another side of him…" She looked at her intrigued sons, as well as an equally curious teacher, albeit a rather amused one, and had the inkling that her boys had no idea whatsoever what she was trying to tell them. She sighed.

"Kusa, what did Naruto jii-chan tell you?"

The little boy shook his head. "He didn't tell me anything," Kusabana answered honestly. "He showed me!!"

At that, Sakura's mind stuttered to a halt. Naruto showed her son…?

She was not aware that she had repeated her boy's remark. Kusabana nodded again.

"Yes, he showed me! Kaa-san, you never told us that Naruto jii-chan is actually a girl!!"

…girl?

"He should be called Naruto oba-chan!"

Kakashi stood up then, easily sensing Inner Sakura's agitation. Kurohyou must have felt the same way too, judging by the way he was staring warily at his mother right now. The silver-haired Jounin reached out to grab Kusabana.

"Alright then, boys, the two of you can show me what your mother has taught you so far. Let's go." The trio beat a hasty retreat, and then Naruto popped his head into house via the doorframe. He smiled nervously at his best friend.

"Did Kusabana come in here?" he asked weakly. "Er, Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan-?"

"Naruto." The kunoichi lifted her head to look at him. Naruto quailed inwardly at that scary look on her face. Inner Sakura.

"…Uh…yes?"

She narrowed her eyes at this stupid man who had dared flash her innocent little boy with the nude body of a woman.

"_You are dead_!"

Naruto whimpered.

* * *

When dinnertime rolled by, poor Naruto was all black and blue from the intense 'sparring session' that he had just had with Sakura. It had been such a long time since she had fought him, but it was obvious that her skills had not decreased at all. The boys could only stare at Naruto jii-chan's rumpled and bruised form as they trooped back into the house with Kakashi jii-chan in tow. The silver-haired Jounin took one look at his student's beyond pitiful appearance and decided never to read his precious Icha Icha before Sakura for the remaining duration of their stay.

Sasuke was still absent, and even though Kurohyou had asked just where 'Sasuke jii-chan' was, nobody knew, and in the end, dinner started without the Uchiha Avenger. The food was well prepared and filling, and belatedly, a grumpy Naruto wondered how on earth she even had time to cook when she was so busy pummeling him to the ground that entire afternoon. It was a mystery that kept the blond occupied for a great portion of dinner, at least, until Sasuke made his appearance halfway through the meal.

Utensils and a bowl of rice were passed over to the spiky-haired Uchiha, and since the only available place was beside the twins, he had sat awkwardly alongside the children, careful not to look at them too much and basically behaving as anti-social as he had always been ever since they were all Genin. Still, the children were intrigued by their cold and emotionally distant relative, and continued to stare at him as covertly as they could throughout the rest of dinner.

"Sasuke jii-chan?" Kusabana went over to sit on the floor by the armchair that Sasuke occupied after dinner. Unable to ignore the boy any longer, the older Uchiha looked down into the earnest eyes of his nephew. "Where did you go today?"

Sasuke looked into the onyx eyes of the younger boy for a brief moment before looking away. "I was training," he admitted brusquely.

But Kusabana was not daunted by the curt tone.

"Really? We trained too! Kakashi jii-chan helped because Kaa-san was busy beating Naruto jii-chan for being a girl. Did you do chakra exercises too? Like tree walking? I always have to run to gain momentum, though aniki can walk up like he always does. It's unfair, but I like to run though, so I don't really mind-"

Before the little boy could continue, the obviously ill-at-ease Uchiha got up and announced to the room, in particular, and not to the little boy currently sitting by his feet, "I'm tired. I think I'm turning in to rest."

Without even looking at the surprised Kusabana, Sasuke started to exit the living room and head towards his temporary bedroom. He passed by Kurohyou and Naruto, who were sitting on the sofa, reading the medic text that the older twin had found so interesting. Kurohyou looked up as his blood uncle walked past him soundlessly. Sasuke's coldness towards the boys was painfully apparent, but everybody, even Naruto, was pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Do you hate us, Sasuke jii-chan?" Kusabana asked suddenly, his voice quiet and startlingly astute.

Naruto froze and looked between the twins and the stilled form of his teammate. Kakashi had long since retreated into his bedroom to do some private reading, and Sakura was still washing up in the kitchen, which had left himself and Sasuke to look after the boys.

"Why do you dislike us so much?" Kusabana picked himself up from the ground and moved slowly towards his uncle. "We haven't done anything wrong…"

He was more bewildered than hurt. "Kaa-san always told us about you; you really are our uncle. You look a lot like us; so we are really family, right?" the little boy frowned at the stiffened form of the older Uchiha. Kurohyou kept silent, but his eyes were quiet and observant. Naruto said not a thing as well; it was not in his place to interrupt and he knew it.

The look on Sasuke's face was almost pained, but the only person who got to see his expression was Sakura, who had walked out from the kitchen just in time to hear Kusabana's words. She faltered at that foreign look that had crept onto the Uchiha's face, and when their eyes met, the unshielded sorrow in the man's eyes made Sakura's heart ache for him.

The pain that Sasuke had bore through silently for his whole life was only visible to her for a brief second or so before his defenses activated again, slamming down almost violently and draining away all emotions from his eyes.

"I don't hate you." His voice was hoarse.

Without another word, Sasuke strode swiftly down the hallway and disappeared into his room.

Naruto looked up and at Sakura. Their eyes met, and the blond implored silently for her to understand Sasuke's plight—and to forgive him for acting thusly towards her sons. Sakura nodded imperceptibly, and then looked at her sons.

"Kaa-san, why is Sasuke jii-chan like this?" Kurohyou asked quietly.

Sakura merely shook her head and looked solemnly at her sons.

"It has nothing to do with the two of you. Your Sasuke jii-chan is just…sad."

Kusabana frowned. "But he's not crying."

"Sometimes you don't need to cry to be sad." Naruto's answer was very wise. "Sometimes you just can't cry out at all, you know?"

The boys didn't look like they understood, but Sakura did not blame them. Sakura reached over and ruffled Kusabana's hair, much to the little boy's protests.

"Come on, boys. It's time for bed."

* * *

Sakura didn't know what had prompted her to do what she had, but after tucking her sons into bed and everyone had turned in for the night already, she found herself standing outside Sasuke's bedroom. He was not asleep yet; the lights were still on and they clearly escaped through the tiny gap between the door and the floor.

Sakura hesitated as she stood uncertainly at the entrance, and then, at last, she gathered up her courage to knock on the door.

"I'm coming in, Sasuke."

She opened the door quickly before the Uchiha could even think to deny her, and she slipped in quietly. She saw him right away. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, and his eyes blanked automatically the moment he saw her. Sakura closed the door behind her as soundlessly as she could. Then she stood there and stared at him for a long time.

"I'm sorry." Sakura spoke first. "They are still so young, and I have not told them of…" her voice trailed off, but they both knew what she was talking about.

The Uchiha Massacre.

How could she be able to tell her children that their father was a heartless mass murderer who had killed his entire family in the span of a single night?

And then, she would also have to tell them that it was their uncle who had put a violent end to their father's life.

But that was not true at all, was it?

Sasuke looked at his female teammate.

"It doesn't matter," he said at last. "Nothing matters now."

Sakura was mildly alarmed by Sasuke's deadened tone. She glanced at him sharply, but he was still staring at her.

"There's nothing left now, anyway," he whispered brokenly, soul deep weariness evident in every bit of his posture. "I'm empty, and I'm so tired."

Sakura's eyes darkened as she looked at him. It was true that Sasuke's anger had dissipated completely, but he had filled himself with so much hatred and rage for the past decades and, now that it was all gone, there was simply nothing left to fill the gaping voids in his soul.

Sakura felt sorry for him.

"You can start to rebuild your clan now," she offered quietly. Sasuke merely continued to look at her, an odd light in his eyes. Sakura glanced around him covertly, and then she saw, at last, the flasks of sake sitting around him. He must have bought them from the village earlier on.

He was drunk.

"There is no rush. I'm no longer a one-man clan anymore, am I?" The Uchiha's eyes darkened with bitterness. "As usual, my dear aniki is ahead of me again. The clan is already resurrected; I will never win with him, will I? Not in battle, not in life…"

Not in love.

Sakura could not help but become agitated over Sasuke's reply.

"Is that why you can't even bring yourself to look at your own nephews? Because everything is just a competition to you that you must win no matter what?" Her eyes started to stir with her own anger. Why couldn't he understand that he was not alone, that not everyone was out to get him? He was so very paranoid that her heart ached for him, but that still did not excuse the fact that he was being such a fool.

"Kuro and Kusa's conception was certainly something that none of us planned. I'm sure that your brother didn't mean to get a one up on you by accidentally getting me pregnant." Her voice was curt with annoyance. "And did you think that-"

"That's not it." He cut her off before she could say another word. "That's not it."

Sakura frowned. "Then what is it?" She demanded.

His stare did not waver as he looked straight into her eyes.

"I cannot even look at my nephews, because every time I do, I'm filled with regret." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Then he opened them again, and his dark stare was filled with so much…_pain_.

"Kurohyou and Kusabana could have been _my sons_, but I was blind and foolish." The Uchiha took a long swig from his flask. "My brother was right; I have always been a fool."

Sakura was taken aback by what he was trying to say.

"Sasuke…you are drunk." She could only change the subject lamely.

But he was not done yet.

"I'm too late, again; you really love my brother, don't you?" He continued as if he hadn't heard a word she just said.

"Sasuke, stop this. You are drun-"

"I think he cared for you too." The spiky-haired Uchiha interrupted her again. "Can you believe it?" he barked out a harsh laugh, and it was then that Sakura saw the wet seep of liquid flowing down his cheeks, trailing from his dark, tortured eyes. "My brother, who killed his entire clan, could actually care about someone. Why?" he shouted suddenly. "Why?! How is that even possible?!"

His shoulders shook as he sobbed, and when he started to take another swig of the alcohol, she hurried forward to wrest the bottle away from him. "Stop, Sasuke! You've had too much to drink. Please stop."

She would never imagine that he would breakdown like this, but these past months must have been hard on him as well, and he must have been strung tighter than a string stretched taut. Automatically, she started to help him undress briskly, and to put him to bed as well. Judging by the number of empty bottles strewn around him, he was very drunk and incoherent, and as Sakura pulled the blankets over him, his eyes opened briefly and locked with hers.

"My brother is still alive, isn't he?" he slurred slightly, and Sakura could only stare back at him in belated shock. "I know that he is still alive. _I know_."

Then he closed his eyes again, appearing to have fallen asleep almost immediately, and a shaken Sakura could only step away quickly, trying her best to erase the memory of those hopeless tear tracks flowing down his cheeks. She started to pick up the empty bottles of sake and gathered them up to be disposed. But as she started to walk towards the door, he spoke again.

"Be happy, Sakura." His voice was a faint whisper. "You should be happy. _Because…I'm…giving up._"

_

* * *

_

:tsuzuku:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Well, I hope this is enough drama for you people out there. I'm sorry if my version of Sasuke made anyone unhappy, but this is how I see him. I don't necessarily like him very much, but he is probably a very deeply tormented and disturbed individual, and concessions must be made for his condition, which is why I'm trying really hard to understand and accept his action in the manga-verse of Naruto.

The Sasuke in this chapter may appear somewhat OOC in the way that he actually suspected that Itachi had survived but yet had clearly decided not to continue pursuing his revenge for his clan. I have my own reasons why he chose to do so, and I will explain these factors now.

In the Curtain Call universe, during 'final' battle between both brothers, Sasuke had, with his own abilities, fought his powerful elder brother to a standstill. In a way, he is now finally on even ground with Itachi. In a way, watching Itachi's death before his very eyes had given him a sense of closure that he had been searching for so many years. Even if the furthest recesses of his mind was uneasily nagging him that something was not quite right, the sense of relief and even sadness, was hard to deny, hard to let go of. Finally, he had done what he had set out to do; avenge his clan, and not come out the worst from the encounter.

Finally, he was at least on par with his elder brother.

And then there was the subject of his nephews. The fact that Kuro and Kusa had accepted him (Sasuke jii-chan) so readily clearly made him uncomfortable. He was their father's murderer, and if they knew of it, he was sure that they would have tried to avenge their father, if they were anything like him. Against his very wishes, he got to know them more than he wanted to, and the fact that they were only so young and already fatherless made him feel even more awkward. He had killed their father because Itachi had taken away his clan, and in turn, he had taken away Kuro and Kusa's parent. That was not to mention that Sakura had loved Itachi as well, and the fact that Itachi had protected her and his sons had indicated to Sasuke that his brother clearly wasn't as heartless as he had wanted to believe. Because of what he had done, he had essentially torn apart his nephews' family, and now, they would never know their father.

I personally believe that the pain of loneliness was something that Sasuke was very familiar with, and who knows, guilt knows no reason but its own. Now that his initial despair and rage had lessened considerably after the fight with his brother, the notion of battling Itachi again brings a sense of distaste and, maybe even unwillingness.

So, therefore even if Sasuke suspects that Itachi is probably alive, he is now willing to ignore it as long as he doesn't have to deal with it anytime soon.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Please be patient; Itachi and Kisame's disappearance would be explained in the next chapter. No, there will not be a fight-to-the-death confrontation or any such thing, at least not in the way most of you would expect. That's all I'm willing to divulge, but I do guarantee a happy ending, of sorts.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

For those who had had no idea what jii-chan meant, well, it's just an affectionate address, which basically means 'Uncle'.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, please do take a look at Yuuleeaye's 'Sexy no Jutsu', a fanart drawn for Curtain Call, if you like the scene where Naruto was attempting to impart his 'Oiroke no Jutsu' to an interested Kusabana. Julie is a talented artiste; I promise that you won't be disappointed for your troubles!

The link is on my profile, under 'Fanarts'. Do visit!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Also…we are nearing the end of CC!!

Last chapter will be posted by next Wednesday, and if everything goes well, the epilogue will be up next weekend as well. Whee!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	18. Chapter 18

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by: **ItachixSakura Forever, MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 7687

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) **Explicit content ahead! Please skip last section if you are underage!**

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 11/06/08

**

* * *

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Chapter 18

* * *

Team Seven's day of departure was brought forth a few days earlier than expected.

Pak-kun, who had been dispatched to return to Konoha to send some verbal reports back to Tsunade, had just arrived at the cottage with an urgent message for Team Seven to return to Konoha ASAP. It seemed that the unrest over at Iwa and Kumo was getting more and more out of hand, and Konoha was pulling all its nin back in case of any possible retaliation from the two large countries, both of which were on barely neutral terms with Leaf at the moment. It appeared that they seemed to be up to something, and Tsunade wanted to send combat specialists Team Seven and reconnaissance experts Team Eight to find out just what was going on out there.

Naruto had protested the decree to leave for Konoha immediately, but when the seriousness of the message revealed itself to the team, they were all prepared to return to Leaf right away. Within moments, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi were already packed and ready to go. It was only high noon, and they planned to make use of the remaining daylight to travel a good distance back to Konoha.

It had only been a day since Sasuke's drunken outburst that night, but the Uchiha Avenger seemed intent to pretend that nothing had happened, and truthfully, the subject at hand had been so sensitive that Sakura, too, was eager to push it aside and not think too much about it. The fact that Sasuke appeared aware that Itachi was not dead…not to mention his odd behavior…

It really was better not to think of it at all.

And so, in a flurry of movements, everyone was standing at the entrance of the cottage, the men all ready to go.

"Naruto, Sasuke, the two of you will stand by as witnesses." Kakashi spoke to his subordinates before turning back to address Sakura. "Jounin Haruno Sakura, the Godaime Hokage-sama would like for you to affirm your status as a kunoichi of Konoha, and as such you will be expected to behave in a manner that will not be a liability to Konohagakure no Sato. You will agree to provide your aid to all Leaf-nin who may happen to be in the area and to keep an active lookout for any disturbances occurring within Water Country. Do you accept the terms?"

Sakura knew that it was a small price to pay for her freedom and that of her sons, and besides, the conditions stated by Kakashi were what she had been doing all along. Sakura nodded curtly, even as her sons watched on with curiosity.

"I accept, and I will return whenever my abilities are required in Konohagakure no Sato."

Kakashi nodded. "Then it is done."

Sakura nodded.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei, and please take care of yourselves, all of you."

Naruto nodded jerkily and then engulfed her in a crushing bear hug, before scooping up both boys and doing his best to suffocate them too. "Take care of yourself, too, as well as the two brats, of course." The blonde spoke seriously. "I will send messages periodically via Gamakichi, so don't worry too much about us."

"We have to go now." Sasuke's voice broke through the somber atmosphere whilst the twins were saying their goodbyes to Kakashi and Naruto. Then, they turned to their blood uncle. "Bye, Sasuke jii-chan," Kurohyou said. Kusabana echoed his sentiment with a wave. "We will see you again!"

The spiky-haired Uchiha looked at his nephews, both so very innocent and different from himself. At long last, he gave them a small, imperceptible nod before turning and leaping into the trees. Naruto and Kakashi fell into formation swiftly behind him right after saying their own goodbyes, and within a matter of seconds, the elite team of Jounin disappeared completely from sight.

Kusabana looked at his mother.

"They will be back, right?" the little boy asked hopefully. Like Kurohyou, he liked all his jii-chan, even Sasuke jii-chan, who always appeared so unhappy to see them. Kaa-san explained that he was just sad though, so the little child didn't blame his uncle for being so cold.

Sakura stared at both her sons.

"I hope so," she said at last. "I really hope so."

One war had barely ended and already another was about to begin.

They were living in such a dangerous world now, but at the moment, Sakura could not bring herself to worry too much about it. All her precious people were alive and accounted for, and so the kunoichi decided that she would be content, at least for a little while.

"Kaa-san," Kurohyou spoke this time, "Otou-san and Kisame-sensei are coming back soon as well, right?"

Sakura nodded distractedly in reply.

Days before Team Seven's arrival at Nami no Kuni, Kisame and Itachi had departed to attend to some 'private business'.

The boys had been rather disappointed by the news of the men's departure at first; they didn't want their father to leave so soon and their shark man sensei had proven to be a rather good teacher, though Sakura had warned him that if he even dared introduce any of Kiri's dangerous 'learning techniques' she would make fish meat out of him with great pleasure. At last, the twins were placated when he mentioned that they would be back in a month's time, or maybe even less. Sakura was somewhat aware of their plans; she had a niggling suspicion that they were probably contemplating alternatives now that both were apparently out of jobs and alliances.

She was right.

They were not leaving for good. At the moment, Itachi and Kisame were off hunting. It had been the answer that they had given to the curious villagers when asked about their occupations, and in the end, it had held true. They were deadly, efficient hunters, bringing down not animals, but dangerous S-class criminals and deserters like themselves. It was no different from what they had been doing when they belonged to the Akatsuki.

Through a contact, Itachi had set up a simple arrangement that would allow himself and Kisame to hunt for nukenin, mostly B to S-class shinobi who were wanted dead by various ninja villages. It was a rather profitable endeavor and the work was often simple and straightforward. The fights were fierce and very satisfying, keeping both nin on their edge and their skills razor-sharp. They were born killers, and this was what they lived for, what they did best.

Besides, there was no choice but for the two to leave temporarily. There was no way the nin of Konoha would see the last surviving members of the Akatsuki and not attempt to engage in battle, and since Sakura had no intention of turning traitor to her country again, the only choice they had would be to remain inconspicuous whenever the Leaf-nin were around, and it was a lucky thing that they were missing-nin for so long that they knew how to disappear quickly when needed.

Needless to say, Kisame was definitely not pleased, at all, that he could not even stay long enough to spend a night in his newly constructed bedroom. After all the hard work that he had put in building the house, he was going to have to let out his room for a Leaf-nin to stay in. It was completely disgusting, and the blue-haired Kiri-nin had sulked about it like a big baby.

At the moment, they were still in the process of perfecting a suitable system so that both opposing sides would hopefully never meet. The boys had been sworn to silence regarding their father, and in this case, Sakura was more than thankful for their intelligence. At three, not many children would have understood what she was even telling them, but her sons were very aware of what they had to do. Even playful, talkative Kusabana was proving to know how to keep a secret when needed, and Sakura was so proud of her boys.

"You have done well, the two of you." Sakura bent down before her sons and gave them a warm hug. Her boys snuggled against her immediately, and the kunoichi almost wished that they would remain like this forever, small and trusting and so very innocent. She breathed in the scent of their baby shampoo and rubbed her cheeks against theirs. She sighed. "I love the both of you so much."

Kusabana giggled. "I love you too, mama." The younger boy told his mother with sweet earnestness.

"I love you too, mother." Kurohyou made his pledge solemnly, and Sakura clutched them to her tighter.

At long last she withdrew from them, and arms still placed around their shoulders, she smiled at her babies.

"Kaa-san, why is it that Naruto jii-chan and the rest cannot know that Otou-san and Kisame-sensei are here?" Her eldest son asked curiously. "Otou-san is Sasuke jii-chan's aniki, is it not? Don't they want to see each other?"

Kusabana nodded quickly in agreement.

"I would want to see Kuro if it was me," Kusa stated matter-of-factly. "Don't they want to see each other at all?"

Sakura looked at her sons.

"Well…" She spoke at last. "Sasuke jii-chan is angry at your Otou-san because he did something that wasn't right."

Kurohyou frowned.

"Otou-san did not apologize?"

Sakura smiled gently at their childish naiveté. "There are some things that you cannot apologize for."

Kusabana frowned, and then he turned to his brother.

"Kuro?" he asked. "Would you forgive me if I did something wrong?"

The little boy actually appeared anxious as he waited for his brother's reply. Kurohyou stared at the expectant expression on his otouto's face before nodding.

"Of course," the older brother muttered with childish logic, "you are always up to mischief; if I don't forgive you I'm going to be very angry every day."

Kusabana grinned unrepentantly. "I will forgive you too, no matter what you do wrong. I don't want you to be sad like Sasuke jii-chan. You are my best friend, aniki!"

The little boy reached over to give his older brother a fierce hug, and Kurohyou looked somewhat exasperated. His brother was such an idiot sometimes.

"Of course I'm your best friend…" the boy retorted, "I'm the only friend you have." Still, he did not push his overly affectionate brother away.

Sakura's eyes softened at the obvious love between the two brothers. Her sons were growing up well; she had no doubt that they would become very strong as they became older, and they would never have to fight or kill each other for power. Together, they would be formidable, and all she had to do was to make sure that they realized their strength.

"Come boys; I have made lunch."

* * *

Kisame and Itachi returned three days later.

The men walked into the cottage at mid-noon, and needless to say, the boys were thrilled by their return.

Sakura watched patiently from the side as her sons ran up to Kisame and Itachi, Kusabana chattering a mile a minute, whereas Kurohyou greeted his parent and sensei a little less exuberantly, though just as happy as his otouto about their return.

"Otou-san," Kurohyou exclaimed, his exotically emerald/obsidian mixed eyes filled with genuine happiness, "you really came back."

Itachi looked down at the expectant faces of his sons—and nodded slightly. It was a most unique experience, for his return to be greeted by such innocent exuberance. It also reminded him of years ago, when a slightly older child had done the same thing. The situation was no longer the same, of course. The small earnest face from so long ago had been replaced by those of two younger boys—his children. Sasuke was no longer on the forefront of his attentions; the immortality that Madara had promised was flawed, and Itachi would settle for nothing but perfection.

But through his sons, he may just gain that achievement.

The young boys were currently like diamonds in the rough, but with dedication and constant pressure they would one day grow to surpass even him, and Itachi was completely interested in seeing just how far his sons' potential would go. At the moment, however, they were still too young to be properly trained; their chakra pathways not developed enough yet and their juvenile attention span too short for any serious instruction.

They are still so little, his petite lover would say as she directed warm eyes at their sons. Let them have their childhood. There are other things more important than training. Let them learn of those first, and then you may teach them of our ways when they are older.

Even without his aid for the past years she had raised and nurtured their sons well; it was proof that her method was effective and so he would heed her.

The Uchiha watched as the boys turned their attentions to his partner, his youngest child demanding immediately for Kisame to head outside with them to watch them train.

"Kusabana, quit badgering Kisame." His mother called out as she at last wandered closer to the men, glancing over both of them to check for the presence of injuries. There were none, and her eyes met his briefly before she returned her gaze to her most mischievous offspring. "He just came back and needs to rest first."

The little boy heeded his mother's request reluctantly, but then he recovered and looked almost knowingly at Kisame.

Kisame frowned.

"Why are you staring at me like that for, gaki?" the blue-haired nin asked, at last, when he could no longer stand the child's sly regard any longer.

Kusabana continued to watch Kisame, considering, and Kurohyou took one look at that particular glint in his brother's eyes and groaned mentally to himself.

"Is it because you are an old man, Kisame-sensei?" the youngest boy quipped at last. "So you need to rest more often? Kaa-san is always telling Togaki ji ji to rest more and quit gossiping with the other ji ji in the village. Are all your teeth fakes as well? I have always wondered how on earth you could have those sharp teeth naturally…"

Kisame could only gape at the daring little brat for his cheek, made completely speechless by the boy's remarks. Sure, he was no longer in the prime of his youth, and his body ached sometimes from the high stress that he subjected to it daily, but that was normal! He was not that _old_! How dare the brat call him a grandfather!!

Kurohyou could only stare at his brother with disbelief, completely aware that his sibling was definitely going to catch hell very soon.

He was right.

Sakura narrowed her eyes with exasperation. "Uchiha Kusabana…" Her tone was one of ominous warning. "Apologize now."

Kusabana frowned as he turned to his mother. "But Kaa-san!" the boy protested, "I was only asking! I didn't say anything wrong…!"

He was interrupted by a loud thump as the offended blue-haired nin in question dropped his traveling packs unceremoniously onto the floor.

Kisame scowled fiercely at the young boy, his pride more than a little wounded. "You little- So you think that I'm a ji ji, huh? Let's go outside now, to test just how much of an old man I really am. At the same time, I think we can test how real my sharp teeth are as well; what do you think, you ill-mannered brat?"

Kusabana really did not like Kisame-sensei's dangerous tone and was immediately cowed.

"Anou…maybe we should wait until you feel less tired!" the little boy replied quickly. "After all, Kaa-san says that you must rest!"

Kisame shook his head immediately, and with an easy lunge, he quickly snagged the collar of the slowly retreating boy. "Oh ho, I don't think so. There is no need. I feel as vigorous as an _angry_ young man right now. You wanted to go training, didn't you? Then we will train now."

Kusabana was starting to get really worried. He dug his heels into the ground as Kisame appeared to start hauling him out of the house. "Kaa-san!!" the boy cried out in panic. "Kaa-san, help!! Don't let him eat me!!"

The shark man looked up at the Sakura then, and the badly concealed amusement in his pale eyes immediately assured her that he wasn't being serious. "Sakura!" The Kiri-nin growled. "You don't have to fix this boy's," he easily lifted said thrashing boy by the scruff of his collar and gave the child a shake like a bad puppy, "dinner tonight." Kisame leered evilly at the terrified child, who was now really crying in earnest. "He's not going to need it."

"Kisame-sensei! I'm sorry!" The little child blubbered frantically as he flailed about in a futile attempt to slip loose from the shark man's tight grasp. "I'm sorry! I will never say that you are old again!!"

"Too late!" The blue-haired nin started towards the exit of the cottage, only for Kurohyou to block his way.

"Wait!" the older boy cried out desperately as he threw himself into his sensei's path. "Kusa has already apologized!! Please let him go!"

In response, the shark man merely smiled toothily at Kuro. "No," the Kiri nukenin answered with sadistic cheer. "Your otouto lacks manners. I'm going to teach them to him even if that's the last thing he's going to learn."

"Kaa-san! Otou-san!" Even Kurohyou was starting to get frightened, and although Sakura was disturbed to see her sons so scared, she also knew that Kusabana badly needed to be taught a lesson on common courtesy. Hopefully, after this scare from Kisame, her youngest would be cured of the appalling habit of not thinking before he spoke; therefore Sakura hardened her heart and made the decision not to interfere.

"You angered Kisame-san, so you will have to bear the consequence, Kusabana. I cannot help; I'm sorry." She spoke as calmly as she could, much to the increased tears of her youngest son as well as the shock that appeared on Kurohyou's face.

"Kaa-san!" Her eldest son was horrified by their mother's betrayal, and frantic, they turned to their father next, the tall Uchiha having remained silent the entire time.

Then at last, he spoke. "You will learn this lesson well, Kusabana; to think before you speak." It was obvious that Itachi had the same mindset as his petite mate, and with a large grin on his face, Kisame continued making his way out of the house, walking around a stunned Kurohyou as his younger brother screamed for help.

"Kuro!! Kuro, tasukete!!" The little boy cried for his older brother, tears streaming down his face as he was being carried to his imagined grisly fate. Kurohyou appeared stuck, but then, he at last made up his mind and started to run out anxiously after his abducted brother and villainous teacher.

Itachi easily noticed that his eldest son had activated his Sharingan instinctively in panic as he raced out of the house and Sakura saw it too. She started to frown worriedly, and appeared quite ready to follow her sons out of the house, when Itachi easily snagged her passing form by curling long fingers around her wrist and pulling her to a swift stop. Sakura stared at him immediately.

"Kisame can handle them both." The Uchiha spoke calmly. Still, Sakura looked worried.

"I know, but maybe I should-"

He cut her off before she could finish.

"Your presence is not needed there."

Despite the fact that Sakura knew he was right, she stiffened with affront instinctively.

"I'm their mother!" she hissed softly as she started to glare into the detached onyx orbs of her lover.

Itachi was not about to be prodded into an argument. He nodded in agreement. "You may be their mother, and you may have a done a good job raising them. However, this is something that Kisame can teach much better than you, and your presence will only hinder him."

He spoke nothing but the truth, and Sakura knew it. Her agitation seeped from her eyes slowly, and at last, she sighed.

"You are right," She admitted in a whisper. "They are still so young, though…"

He was unperturbed.

"They are not as helpless as you think," he answered with composed assurance. "They have already awakened their Sharingan."

Sakura frowned. "They are my children," she retorted sharply. "I gave birth to them, and I will always worry about them, no matter how powerful they will become in the future. It's a mother's prerogative."

He merely looked at her, and once more, his past deduction that she would become a formidable foe to whoever dared threaten their children was confirmed.

"You worry too much." His comment was short. "They will not be harmed."

Sakura nodded slowly in reluctant agreement. "I know." She looked at him, and noticed his begrimed form and exhausted features. She bit her lips and frowned again, and then she went closer to him, hands flaring with healing chakra as she looked him over. His chakra level was a little low, but other than that, he was perfectly normal, if not still a little weak from his near fatal injuries from over a month ago.

"You are not going to heal properly if you keep pushing yourself so hard," Sakura muttered as she used her chakra to ease his strained muscles and weary form. Her essence was warm and soothing, and he was content to watch her as she ran her energy over him. At last she pulled away, and her eyes met his own distant gaze. It was apparent that she was well aware of what he and Kisame had been up to, of course, but she said not a word about it.

"I doubt that the two of you have even eaten lunch." She clucked her tongue in exasperated dismay. Then, she quickly took charge of the situation. "You need a shower, so go take one. I will fix some food for you and Kisame."

She prodded him in the direction of their bedroom to get him moving along, before turning to start briskly towards the kitchens, pausing only briefly by the doorway to collect the discarded packs of dirty clothes and other used supplies that both men had left on the floor earlier. The leftovers from lunch were heated up and while she waited, Sakura extracted the various utensils from the packs to be washed and cleaned, not to mention the soiled and stained clothing that was promptly added to the laundry basket.

Itachi was not out yet when the food was done, and so Sakura packed up a large portion of it and transferred it into a basket. She slipped out of the house to the large clearing behind it and saw Kisame and the children almost immediately.

Poor Kusabana was still sniffling pitifully when they came into her sight, and Sakura's heart twinged slightly at her son's upset. Kisame appeared to be teaching them basic taijutsu stances now, and the tragic expression on her Kusa's face as he dutifully followed after his sensei's instructions made Sakura feel rather sorry for her son as well.

Kisame noticed her presence immediately and glanced over at her. She lifted up her basket and moved toward him, careful not to display overt sympathy for her boys. They had to learn their lesson, after all, and her display of empathy towards them would not help them in the long run.

"Knowing Itachi, you probably haven't had much to eat yet." Sakura handed the impromptu meal over to the shark man instead. "It's just some leftovers from lunch, but it should tide you over until dinnertime."

Kisame merely grinned his appreciation and started to help himself to the basket's contents with no ceremony whatsoever.

Sakura took the time to look over her boys, and she was immediately greeted by Kusabana's large, teary eyes. Her son had never had a scare like the one he just had in his entire life, and it was no surprise that he was now looking at his mama like she had just betrayed him. Sakura could not help but wander towards her children. She stopped before Kurohyou first, corrected his arm position and then turned at last to her youngest.

"Did you apologize to Kisame?" she asked at last. Kusa's eyes widened; he did not expect his mother to talk about his evil sensei, of all things! What about himself?

"But Kaa-san," the boy protested in a fitful whisper, as if afraid that he would be overheard. "He threatened to eat me!"

Sakura arched her brow.

"I'm sure rude little children would taste very nasty," she remarked serenely. "Besides, Kisame would never have threatened to do anything to you had you been mindful of your manners in the first place, don't you agree?"

Kusabana could not refute that. The little boy sulked unhappily, but Sakura was simply undaunted by his temper tantrum.

"You will apologize to your Kisame-sensei later, is that clear?" It really wasn't a request, but when the boy took too long to reply, Sakura added, "If not, I'm not going to cook dinner for Kisame-san, and if he's really hungry…"

Kusa's eyes widened.

"Alright!" the young child blurted out quickly. "I will apologize, and I will mean it too!!"

Sakura furrowed her brow slightly. "Are you sure?"

Kusabana nodded so quickly that Sakura half thought of using Kisame in the future to prod the boys into behaving. It appeared that Kusabana had finally developed a healthy dose of respect for his sensei.

"I promise, Kaa-san!"

Almost immediately, Sakura's stern frown smoothed away, replaced by a quirked smile. Her sons stared at her; their mother could change moods so quickly that it was almost scary.

"Good boys," Sakura announced, looking fondly at her twins. "Learn as much as you can from your sensei; I will see the both of you later."

She walked past Kisame as she made her way back to the cottage, and she inclined her head in silent appreciation for what he had done. Kisame merely waved her gratefulness aside, and at last, Sakura retreated into the house with a small smile.

Itachi was still not out by the time she returned, so she went into their room to look in on him instead. The dishes of food were left on the table as she made her way into the bedroom, knocking softly before entering and closing the door behind her. The room was dark, curtains drawn over windows and blotting out the mid-noon sun, and it took Sakura a quick moment to accustom herself to the change in lighting.

She saw him almost immediately; his lithe form a shadow against the dim lighting that had escaped between the doorframe and the door of the bathroom. He had on only a pair of long pants that emphasized his narrow hips and long legs and his pale, well-defined torso gleamed in the semi-darkness. His long, unbound raven hair was damp from the shower, and it was apparent to her that he had just stepped out from the bathroom.

Her first instinct was to back out of the room. Despite the fact that they had been sleeping together for the past month or so, they hadn't become sexually intimate with each other at all. She had been too worried by his gaunt and injured condition to be properly interested, and in return, he hadn't made any attempt to press her for her favors either. She didn't appear to show aversion to his touch, though, and her tender care as well as the fact that she never hesitated to return to rest by his side every night had been enough to assure him of her steadfast affection towards him for the first month or so of his return to her.

Eventually though, he recovered from his serious injuries and she began to appear more receptive to his attentions, but before their relationship could finally return to the level of intimacy that it used to have, her Leaf-nin comrades had announced their appearance and everything was put on hold. He had left with Kisame on a training/hunting trip in order to regain his strength and abilities as quickly as possible, and Sakura and their sons had remained in Nami to greet her teammates—and his younger brother.

But now Team Seven had finally returned, and the children and Kisame were conveniently out of the house at the moment.

They were truly alone, for the first time in ages.

Sakura started to turn to quickly get out of the bedroom.

"I will wait for you outside," she blurted out. "The food is ready; I will be in the kitc-"

"I'm not hungry." He cut her off effortlessly. His crimson eyes were locked firmly with hers as he started to pad soundlessly towards her, and she stilled at his nearing approach. He stopped a feet before her, by the futon. Then, he lifted his hand and stretched it out slowly towards her, palm up.

"Lay with me."

She looked at him for a short moment, taking note of his weary features and the exhausted lines of stress etched deeply on his face. He looked so much older than his thirty years of age, and she would not be surprised if streaks of white hair appeared among his head of raven black a few years down the road. She sighed at last.

"You need to eat."

It was becoming a habit, reminding him to take care of himself. He was such a genius when it came to combat and missions, but when it came to his own wellbeing, it was as if he was completely uncaring.

It was a good thing that she was here to look after him.

He was unperturbed by her statement, unfortunately, but her gentle concern for him was duly noted. "Later," he answered calmly.

His steady, ruby eyes never left hers as she considered her options, and his outstretched hand never wavered as he waited for her response. He was well rewarded for his patience; in the end, she placed her hand trustingly in his larger one, and he wrapped long fingers over her seemingly delicate bones, at the same time closing the one foot between them and swiftly reaching behind her to lock the door.

She stared at him with clear surprise. What on earth was he doing-?

"Itachi?" she asked as he started to lead her firmly back to bed. "What are you-"

Easily, he nudged her to the bed before following her down onto the mattress. Before she knew it, she was lying flat on the futon and he had straddled her completely, his masculine warmth surrounding her in languid, heavy waves as he settled himself securely around her hips. He leaned forward, caging her head easily between his arms. His dark head lowered to capture her lips with his, and his long hair fell lightly against her cheeks, curtaining them from the rest of the world. She acquiesced to his unspoken demand, slowly responding to his deep, drugging kisses, his tongue pushing almost aggressively into her mouth as if trying to lay physical claim on her all over again.

Sakura was slightly bewildered by his sudden ardent desire for her, and she was beginning to get the idea that he wasn't implying rest when he had told her to 'lay with him'.

Somewhat surprised by her realization, she pulled away from the hot, sucking pressure of his mouth abruptly.

"Itachi!" Her voice was breathless as she tried to protest her current enjoyable situation and failed miserably. A husky whimper escaped her throat when he merely moved his attention to the sensitive column of her throat when denied access to her mouth. The feel of his warm lips and raspy tongue against her delicate skin made her eyes glaze over with growing lust, and it was quite awhile before she could force herself to refocus and to concentrate with great difficulty on the subject at hand. "The kids-!!"

"They will be taken care of by Kisame." His own lilting voice was growing rough as well, lower in pitch, and the vibrations of his voice against her throat made her shiver with conditioned anticipation. His beautiful, silky tone always changed to such sinful, crushed velvet whenever they made love; it was something that she had never forgotten, would never forget.

His crimson eyes pierced into hers as he pulled back slightly to look at her.

"Forget about our sons." His voice was a low, almost soundless whisper. "_I want you to see only me._"

Her breath caught in her throat at that rare look of hunger in his normally distant eyes; in the privacy of their bedroom, he was unmasking his desire for her, unashamedly letting her know just how much he wanted to mate her, to sheathe himself completely within her willing body, to sate him self fully in her.

Her eyes darkened, and when his hands moved down to undo her shirt, she offered him no resistance. Eyes soft, she laid there and watched him as he undressed her slowly, his own crimson gaze roving intently across every inch of her milky, smooth skin that he exposed. Her breathing quickened under his attentive stare, and by the time he divested her of her shirt, she was definitely getting aroused by his deliberate actions, never mind that he hadn't really done anything to her just yet. It had been more than three years since he had last touched her, and since then, she had never allowed any man as near to her as Itachi had been. There was no one worthy enough, and she was only his.

It was no surprise that her body was completely starved for his affection, aching for his touch and attentions. He continued to remove her bra and she helped him, shifting her limbs to allow for a quicker removal of her undergarment.

The bra was quickly forgotten, for like him, she was now bare from waist up.

He stared at her half nude form with dark, inscrutable eyes and she bit her lips nervously as he looked her over. Childbirth had changed her body. Her breasts were fuller, high and rounded, budding, delectable nipples a darker shade of pink than he had last remembered; a result of her past pregnancy, of nursing their children. Faint, almost imperceptible lines of stretch marks ran down her flat belly in thin, silvery threads; she had carried his sons here, and now she showed the proud marks for it.

He ran achingly gentle fingers over her abdomen, lightly tracing one of the lines as she sucked in a deep breath at the feathery sensation. He looked at her; her lips were slowly becoming reddened from all the nibbling she was doing to them, and immediately, he lowered his head to soothe her lips with his, running his tongue across her soft, succulent flesh even as his hands roamed freely across the womanly curvature of her body.

The birth of their sons had done wonders to her once girlish figure. Her breasts had remained generous and the soft globes filled his palms easily, her hips were deliciously rounded and her waist slender from all the training that she had refused to let up on even as a civilian. She turned her face up to his and moaned softly into his mouth when his hands kneaded gently at her breasts, his fingers sliding and rubbing against her sensitive nipples, the slow ripples of pleasure that he was delivering to her almost languid and lazy.

His mouth roved to the side of her lips, trailing a line of wet kisses from the tip of her chin to the curve of her jaw before moving downwards, to her slender neck. Her throat slid up, and then down, as she swallowed hard when he began using his teeth on her sensitive, sweet smelling flesh, and her hands came up rest upon his broad shoulders when he began to play delicately with her ear, licking and breathing and nibbling on her erogenous zone with the ease of experience. Throughout this sweet torture that he was putting her through, he never let up on his sensual assault on her breasts, and by the time he finally decided to take his attention off her highly sensitized earlobe, she was already panting, face flushed and beautiful eyes glazed over with growing lust.

The expression of such carnal desire on her face never failed to arouse him, and his own eyes darkened further at the sight of her beautiful features and those eyes that saw only him. Slowly, he relinquished his hold on one of her breasts, and immediately, she whined softly in protest, the lost of his heady stimulation almost unbearable to her. But he made up for it soon enough, and she had to stifle a sharp gasp as he slid lower and wrapped those sinful lips of his around her pouting nipple, suckling gently and grazing his teeth against the sensitive flesh, his wonderful tongue running sensuously against that delicate, erect tip. He had abandoned his straddled position around her hips, easily settling between her parted thighs, instead, and she writhed helplessly under him, her movements only serving to rub herself against his larger body and she could not help but whimper at the delicious friction. Itachi continued his steady ministrations on her breasts, but rocked his pelvis slowly against her responding form, and Sakura started to keen softly with growing need.

She had never changed; she was still so unbelievably responsive to him that it was if they had never been separated at all.

Liquid, molten heat was beginning to gather within her womb, making her feel increasingly impatient and urgent for the release that she knew he could give her. But yet he refused to attend to anywhere but her full, heaving chest, laving his complete attention on her peaking nipples, his talented fingers drawing helpless gasps and immense pleasure that shot straight to her nether region, making her tensed, anticipating form even more unbearable.

"Itachi!" Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she bucked helplessly against him, begging him to give her release. Wanting to join with her as quickly as possible himself, he heeded her urgent demand, and a spare hand crept southward to relieve her of the long pants that she was wearing. She helped eagerly, dislodging his mouth from her dampened breast as she fumbled to undo the buttons herself and he sat back, easily pushing the waistband of her slacks over her hips and down her slender thighs. She kicked away the last of the restraining material at last, leaving her now clad in nothing but her panties, and then she reached over to divest him of his clothes as well.

He allowed her to do so, and he watched her as she slid slender fingers into the waistband of his pants before pulling them down past his narrow hips with great urgency. Unlike her, he wasn't wearing anything underneath and she almost sighed with pleasure when she saw him, fully aroused and raring to go. She started to reach for him, but before she could do so, he got to her first. With a strong nudge, she was quickly pressed onto her back. His long, callused-tipped fingers played around the edges of her panty lines before doing away with the delicate piece of cotton and sliding wetly against her hooded, blood-filled clitoris. Sakura stiffened as his blunt fingernail scraped lightly against the highly sensitized mass of nerve endings, deliberately, before he slid an index finger into her sleek depths, slippery and completely ready for him. Her hips surged up instinctively as he pushed yet another finger into her, and her tight inner wall muscles rippled around his fingers as he did not let up on his play on her clitoris. It wasn't long before she was making breathy gasps and moans with desperate fervor, her lower body bucking helplessly against his hand as he watched her sensual dance, her long hair tousled and wild around her, her face flushed and her eyes closed with nearing ecstasy as she sang her sweet siren song to him.

Then, she opened her eyes and looked mistily at him. He was moving his hand between her thighs in an effort to give her more pleasure but she was trying her best to resist him.

"Come with me," she whispered hoarsely as their eyes locked. "I want you inside me for this first time."

She was completely receptive to him, a hand reaching out towards him, and at last, he pulled his damp fingers out of her. She laid still as he moved over her, and she shifted her thighs further apart when he began to mount her, pulling her knees towards her torso as his lean but larger form settled above her firmly. She keened softly when his hardness nudged at her weeping entrance, and shifted her hips slightly so that he could position himself better.

He slid into her with one smooth stroke and she went deliciously limp under him, the sensation of him filling her completely making her sigh softly with joy. He remained hilted completely within her for as long as he could; watching the expression on her face with intent crimson eyes as she all but purred her pleasure for him to hear. The sensual sound was reverberated back to her through an answering rumble coming from his chest, and in return, she reached up and started to kiss him innocuously, nuzzling the line of his jawbone with her nose, grazing her lips against his proud chin with great affection. She ran her hands up and down his back, and he started to move almost lazily within her, rocking his hips slowly against hers as he pulled out almost completely from her tight, grasping channel before sinking back in again.

Her eyes never left his as they made love, and the longer he stared into her open and completely trusting gaze, the more he felt himself getting sucked into the unique being that was her. At the same time, she brought up her legs and locked her ankles around his hips, her sleek core grasping on to him as she tried to find her orgasm.

This was his woman, and each deeply seated thrust within her affirmed his unspoken pledge towards her. He was well and truly caught by her; first unknowingly ensnared by that breathtaking personality that only she had, then bound firmly to her by the ties of parenthood, and now…

Now, he was finally starting to realize what Fate had meant for them from the very beginning. The reason why he was never able to let her go, the reason why she would rather turn her back on her beloved country than to see him die before her, the very reason why he would return to her side no matter what.

His beautiful mate was a lot smarter than he was, it seemed. Sakura had already known the reason why she would readily sacrifice herself for Itachi for a long time already, but it was only now that he finally understood.

There and then, her release came upon her in a quick, soft gasp, and as she convulsed around him, he leant down and swallowed her cry of satisfaction with his mouth. She clamped down hard as her inner muscles did their best to milk him of his essence, and as he wrapped himself completely around her pleasured form, he spent himself within her pliant body. She took everything he had to give, pressing herself tightly against him and responding to his gentle ministrations with reciprocating affection. Their love making was so tender that it nearly brought tears to her eyes, and it was all Sakura could do not to break down and weep with happiness. He made her feel so beautiful and cherished, and she loved him so very much for it.

Exhausted at he was by his fortnight long trip away from her, he didn't cease kissing her even when their combined climax had long since faded away. Taking his time, he luxuriated in her taste and she didn't seem to mind his sudden burst of affection overly much.

When they parted at last, he spoke the first thing that came to mind, wanting to confirm his findings.

"You love me." His voice was husky, and his eyes unwavering as he spoke the fact to her.

Still joined to him intimately, there was definitely no way she could try to evade his question. She looked at him for the longest time, and then she nodded, at last.

"…yes," she whispered.

In reaction, he closed his eyes for a brief moment, and just when she was beginning to think that he was upset with her answer, he opened those beautiful bloodied orbs again.

"Good."

To her surprise, his reply was anything but.

"You belong to me now." His calm voice was resolute, but the tone of sheer possessiveness was apparent even to her. She could only stare at him in blatant shock—and growing happiness.

His normally cold, impassive stare was almost fierce as he pierced her gaze with his crimson eyes.

"I will never let you go for as long as I live."

Finally, Sakura's eyes softened in understanding. She also could not help the tears of joy from leaking from her eyes.

A declaration of love from someone like him would never happen but this promise was as good as what she was going to get, and besides, judging by the shuttered expression on his face as he awaited her reaction, they both knew what he really meant.

It was more than enough for her. She was happy. Her lover was finally reunited with her and their children, all her precious people were safe, and there was no time better than now to start life afresh.

She gave him a watery, yet brilliant smile, further affirming her affection for him.

"I have no intention of going anywhere."

_

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_

:tsuzuku:

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**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Here we go!! The very last chapter of Curtain Call, together with a bonus lemon to boot, too! Well, for those who still weren't prepared for this ending; not to worry, I have a super long epilogue coming up this weekend. That would be the official last chapter, so be prepared this time, eh?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Some reviewers enquired as to how it was possible that Team Seven had been living with Sakura for almost two weeks and yet hadn't heard from the villagers about Midori-san's husband, as well as the 'family friend'.

Well, first of all, Sakura does not live within the village of Nami no Kuni. She lives at the very outskirts, and unless the villagers were in desperate need for her healing expertise, they do not approach her home at all. Instead, Sakura makes her rounds within the village almost everyday. Also, Team Seven is a shinobi cell from Konohagakure. It makes sense that they would not mingle with the civilian village unless they really have to, not to mention that Sakura's identity as a kunoichi of Leaf was supposed to be a secret as well, and the less Konoha nin were seen with her, the better for her cover.

In summary, Team Seven mostly remained in the areas around Sakura's house, and since the villagers has no idea that 'Midori-san' had any visitors, it was unlikely that they would just approach any random strangers to gossip about their healer and her family.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for Kusabana being 'punished' for being such a precocious _and_ impolite child…it is to be expected, don't you think so? He was well on his way to shaping up to be a cocky and rude boy, and since Sakura, and to an extent, Kurohyou would normally indulge the antics of the playful little Uchiha, he still needs to learn never to cross the line between mischievous and bad-mannered.

Having Kisame scare the crap of him ought to do it, though. Seriously, I can't really imagine a worst nightmare for a three year old than a shark man threatening to have him for dinner, as hilarious as the thought was/is.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I really hope that the lemon was alright for most of you, and that the chapter ended in a good place. Anyway, I'm going to end my notes here. I had a Lasik eye op yesterday and wasn't really supposed to be fiddling with the laptop at this moment. Still, I just want to let everyone know that I am really glad that most of you kind reviewers had been with me from the very beginning of the 'This is my way as a ninja/heart strings/Curtain Call' saga till now. You people really need to be proud of yourselves for sticking by me for so long—I, for one, certainly feel very thankful for all of your support and comments.

One last chapter to go!!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


	19. Epilogue

**Title:** Curtain call (the final act)

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (Complete)

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Word Count:** 9278

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #49, Curtain call (the final act)

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Sequel to heart strings. It should be obvious by now that they were never meant to be together. Fate was doing everything possible to tear them apart, but one thing binds them closer together than never before. As long as hope never dies, life would continue to blossom.

**Completed on:** 10/04/08

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 13/06/08

**

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Epilogue

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_Four years later._

Today was a very important day for everyone in Konoha.

The Godaime Hokage was finally stepping down, and in her place, she had already appointed her successor.

Her choice was not a great surprise to most of the nin in Leaf; everyone knew of Uzumaki Naruto, the orphaned Kyuubi brat who was wild and loud and had such an incredulous aspiration to become Hokage. Nobody believed that he would have succeeded in the end, and in the beginning, there were a lot of people who wished for nothing more than to see him fail and die, bringing that cursed demon sealed within him to hell as well.

But now, things had changed.

Step by step, one by one, the unfailingly cheerful, never-say-die blonde had at last won over the support of his village, as well as innumerous loyal friends who would gladly fight and lay their lives down for him as quickly as he would for them. Now, nobody could refute that Uzumaki Naruto was the strongest shinobi in the village. Now, all knew that there was no better candidate for the Rokudaime position than Uzumaki Naruto. He was the Jinchuuriki of the fearsome Kyuubi, he was the only son of the Yondaime Hokage and the last of the Namikaze bloodline, and soon, he would be the favored son-in-law of the proud Hyuuga clan.

Once the disgrace of the village, Naruto was now the pride of Konoha.

The most recent war against the combined forces of Iwa and Kumo had attested to Naruto's unchallenged right for that title. No sooner had the Akatsuki war against Leaf ended, the unrest among Stone and Cloud had proven to be near lethal to Leaf. The two large countries were eager to make use of Konoha's momentary handicap to turn the favor for themselves, but unfortunately for them, all of Konoha's elite ninjas had rose magnificently to meet the newest threat to their beloved country.

And so, the Fourth Secret Ninja war began with great violence and bloodshed.

Of course, every war has its share of tragedies, and all sides lost precious nin and innocent lives thanks to the two and a half year long warfare between the three great countries. Almost everyone had lost a friend or a loved one to the hands of the enemy, and whilst there were a lot of deaths there were also others, like the Gallant Jiraiya-sama, who had been lucky enough to survive multiple deadly attacks but unfortunately would never be able to fight again.

However, not everything was filled with gloom and terror during those dark days. Slowly, Konoha began to show everyone just why they were considered the best among the five Greats. The Leaf's powerful bloodlines and clans rallied together during that time of greatest peril, and at last, the Leaf's unwavering unity and unceasing support for all of its nin bore fruit.

Victory.

Kumo was quickly sent packing without having any of Konoha's famed bloodlines, and Iwa…

The war had taught the Iwa-nin that the Konoha no kiiroi senko wasn't the only nin to be feared in the battlegrounds. The legacy that he had left behind, the only son who shared his blood, had turned out to be as much of a demon in the battlefield as the one that his father had sealed into his navel decades ago. The son had surpassed the father, it seemed, and had carried on the proud family tradition of being listed in Bingo Books around the ninja world as a lethal S-Class shinobi, where enemy nin were given the flee-on-sight order when encountered with the blond Jinchuuriki.

The Iwa-nin now have yet another Leaf-nin to fear, and Konoha could not be more proud to have Naruto as their newest Hokage.

Today would be his day of inauguration, where the Godaime would pass her Hokage hat, regalia and the 'Will of Fire' over to her successor. Today would be the most important day he had ever had. Today would be the day where the entire village would show their support for him—by appointing him the Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, they would put their faith and trust in him, all in the firm belief that he would keep their village safe and protect all of their future generations for many years to come.

And that was the main reason why Sakura was back in Konoha today. Nearly a lifetime ago, she had promised her heart's brother that she would be there to see him attain his biggest dream, and there was no way she would break her promise now.

Besides, it had been over five months since they had last met. Now would be a good time to see him anyway; it would probably be another half a year or so after this before they could meet each other again.

"Kaa-san," Kurohyou asked with great concern. His mother had stopped halfway along the busy streets of Konoha and appeared to have spaced out for some reason or another. "Are you alright?"

Bemusedly, Sakura turned her attention to her now seven year old son. Kurohyou's pedigree was simply unmistakable by now, as was that of the swiftly approaching Kusabana. Their father's aristocratic features were evident in their own youthful faces as they looked up at their mother, their raven hair glinting under the mid-morning sunlight and two pairs of pure onyx and exotically mixed onyx/emerald eyes staring up at her.

"Kaa-san, are you tired already?" Kusabana asked as he reached his mother's side, concerned as well. Absently, he pushed his long hair away from his face as he glanced at his parent. The hot weather in Konoha always gave his hair so many problems.

The twins promptly disregarded all the noise and excitement around them in favor of looking their mother over and making sure that she was well; this was not the first time that they were in Konoha, anyway, and besides, their currently absent father was definitely going to make their training hell if anything were to happen to their mother in her current condition. Otou-san had taken personal interest in their training nearly two years ago and if anything else, they had learned that he was an even harder taskmaster than Kisame-sensei. Both boys, Kusabana especially, had no wish to make life more difficult for themselves.

Also, no matter how powerful their mother appeared to be with her chakra-enhanced punches and incredible control, she was still first and foremost their Kaa-san. Her wellbeing was just as important to them as it was to herself.

Sakura only shook her head slightly at her sons' questions. She looked exasperatedly at her two boys.

"You just asked me that less than half an hour ago. Of course I'm alright. I will tell you if I'm not feeling well, which I doubt will happen. Today is such a nice day, don't you think?"

Kusabana mere looked around briefly before turning his attention back to his mother and screwing up his face slightly. "Konoha is always so warm. I prefer the cool climate of Nami no Kuni so much better. Don't you agree, aniki?"

His aniki wasn't about to be dragged into an argument on weather, of all things, in the middle of the crowded street, however, and especially not so now in front of their mother. The older boy with the tousled mid-length raven hair merely hummed a reply before turning to their mother as well.

"Kaa-san, there seem to be more and more people gathering on the streets, even as we remain here. We should head for the Hokage tower now or we won't be able to get there at all."

Sakura agreed, and then looked quizzically at her two boys.

"Don't the two of you want to walk around the streets at all? They are having such a wonderful celebration today, and there are so many stalls." The kunoichi mentioned as her own interest was stirred as well. "In fact, maybe we should go take a look-"

"You can't, Kaa-san." Kurohyou interrupted calmly before she could finish. The older boy was becoming more and more like his father in terms of temperament, composed and unruffled. "Naruto jii-chan is waiting for us and is probably driving everyone up the wall asking just where we are as we speak."

Kusabana had to agree.

"The Chuunin guards at the village entrance have gone to inform them of our arrival already, unfortunately. We have to go there now."

"I can head toward the tower myself, you know." Sakura regarded her sons. They were only seven but they behaved with such intelligence and common sense that sometimes she wondered just who was parent and who was child. "Both of you can still go enjoy yourself and not spend the whole of today looking after your poor, unwell mother."

Both boys merely looked at her, and then Kusabana spoke for the both of them. "We will go look around later when we have delivered you to the tower, Kaa-san."

Once again, exasperated by her children's protective tendencies clearly inherited from their father, Sakura acquiesced at last. She was feeling a little tired, anyway.

The boys exchanged a swift glance with each other, and then, they guided their mother towards the tall landmark that was the Hokage tower a distance away.

Both of them had no intention of leaving their mother alone anywhere in Konoha. By now they were well aware of their parents' positions against Leaf; Sakura and Itachi had never tried to hide the unique circumstances that had led to the boys' births, as well as the many events that had occurred after. The boys knew that their father was a nukenin by choice and that their mother had chosen to leave her country to stay in Nami for him. They didn't find their parents' decisions disgraceful; on the contrary, they were aware that their mother and father were very powerful individuals, and why did it matter just where they were as long as they were all together and quite content to remain so?

Of course, there were some people here who were completely unhappy and even downright hateful to their mother because of what she had done, never mind that she had healed up and helped house and nurse back to health a good portion of Konoha's nin during their war against Kumo. Granted, they were mostly petty, small-minded civilians, but still, the boys could not understand why those bigoted people could not see anything past the fact that their dear, gentle mother had given birth to them out of wedlock, and to make matters worse, it was apparent from their appearance that they were the sons of their 'demonic' missing-nin of a father.

Kusabana really didn't know how bad the terms 'bitch' and 'whore' were until he returned to Nami from his very first trip to Konoha two years ago and had innocently relayed his findings to his father. There had been no visible reaction from his Otou-san as the older Uchiha listened calmly to all his child had to say, before walking out of the room, but then right after that, Otou-san had went on a solo hunting trip that had lasted nearly two weeks before he returned again, never mind that he had just come back from yet another assignment with Kisame-sensei that very day. Their mother had been understandably distressed when she found out what had happened, and then she had sat both the boys down to explain the nasty meaning behind those degrading terms as well as how sometimes ignorant people would hide their fear and lack of understanding behind hatred and anger. She had made them promise never to mention those terms before their father ever again, but they all knew that Otou-san was well aware of what was going on, anyhow.

Their first return to Konoha two years ago hadn't been well received by some of the villagers and even the nin living there, but Sakura had already expected that to happen. She was supposed to have died, after all, but then she had came back alive and with two children in tow—Itachi's. It was understandable that she would be subjected to anger and revulsion. Thankfully, Naruto, her two sensei, and all her close friends had stood by her side loyally, and just for their unwavering friendship and support she would always return to Konoha, no matter how others might despise her for lying with the now 'deceased' Uchiha Itachi and even bearing his sons, whom they were convinced were cursed by the seed of insanity, just like their father.

That was not true, of course. Her sons were certainly not identical copies of their father, they had their own personalities and were growing up to be wonderfully caring and thoughtful individuals—or she would demand to know why not.

Kurohyou was solemn but steadfastly loyal to those who had earned his affection. He was a natural born peacemaker and scholar, stunningly diplomatic in his dealings with people and always taking careful consideration of how his words might affect others before he spoke. Kusabana was the more flamboyant child when compared to his serious twin, seemingly charming and outgoing and even downright silly sometimes, but like his brother, his dark eyes were always watching, constantly accessing and cunningly searching meticulously for threats and weaknesses in people. Those who passed his stringent tests would earn his loyalty, and those who didn't would be promptly ignored or worst, constantly involved in the middle of pranks orchestrated by the genius little boy.

It was, therefore, no surprise that his older brother was constantly behind him cleaning up after his messes and apologizing to outraged people, but as vastly different personalities as both boys have, they were still the closest to each other, bound together by blood as well as an intangible bond that had existed between the two of them the very moment they were conceived. Though it may not seem like it oftentimes, they were the other's best friend and confidante, and no matter where one went the other was sure to be able to locate him quite effortlessly.

Sakura was very proud of her sons, and she knew that anyone who bothered to get to know her twins more would eventually understand that they were good children at heart, just like all her friends had already realized.

For the circumstances of their birth as well as their parentage, the young boys received their share of scorn and dislike, but they heeded their mother and normally ignored the occasional taunts whenever they came to Konoha to visit, especially after she had told them of Naruto jii-chan's story. Naruto jii-chan was once hated for something he had no control over when he was a young boy as well, but he never gave up and he never resented those who looked down upon him. Instead, he worked hard to prove them all wrong, and now he was going to be a Hokage. Kaa-san wanted them to learn to be like their godfather, and who would have thought that goofy, idiotic Naruto jii-chan had such a past?

Either way, the boys had learnt not to take those degrading insults to heart, and they never failed to accompany their mother to Konoha whenever she decided to visit.

"Sakura!!" A loud, familiar voice rang across the streets and made the family of three look up.

It was a heavily pregnant Ino, face red from her exertions and huffing and puffing as she made her way towards them as quickly as she could waddle. Trailing not far behind was her worried husband, ANBU tactician Nara Shikamaru. They were expecting their first child, and surprisingly, the normally indolent Nara was unexpectedly concerned and dedicated when it became known to him that his wife was pregnant, and unfortunately, it became even more so as her pregnancy progressed. Now all Ino wanted was for him to get the hell away from her and go play some goddamned Shogi so that he could get off her back for once!

"Are all of you deaf?!" the annoyed mother-to-be snapped as she finally reached their side. "I have been calling and calling you guys for a good five minutes already!" Then, she glared irritably at her approaching husband. "You can go now, Shika. They are heading towards the tower too." She tried to shoo the Nara away but to no avail. "Go do some crowd control or something!"

In response, her husband merely retrieved a bottle of water from the satchel that he was carrying, unscrewed the cap thoughtfully, and handed it over to his wife. Said wife who wanted nothing more than for her husband to leave her alone promptly forgot about the fact that she had been diligently running away from him at the sight of the blessed water, and grudgingly, she took the bottle from him.

"Ino-san, Shikamaru-san." The boys greeted them politely. Kusabana was no longer the little hellion that he once was years ago. Between his parents and Kisame, they had managed to cure him of most of his bad habits, though he could still be as charming and as sly as a fox if the situation ever called for it. Sakura merely went over to her eight months pregnant friend and started to fuss over her. Shikamaru nodded at her in greeting and received a smile in return.

"Ino! You shouldn't be running around in this condition!" Sakura clucked her tongue as she straightened the blonde's clothing and hair for her. Like she once was, Ino was blooming in her pregnancy, but the strain of carrying all that additional weight was beginning to discomfort the other kunoichi and she grimaced as she handed the bottle back to her husband. "You are going to induce premature labor if you keep doing this, you know."

Ino scowled irritably at her childhood friend.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind if my baby comes out early," she muttered and then stared at her friend's sons with mild incomprehension. "I feel like my back is breaking all the time; and just how did you survive carrying two of them?!"

"I believe she stayed put." Shikamaru too, was getting disgruntled at his wife and Ino glared at him.

"Well, I certainly didn't become like this myself!"

The poor Nara was not about to quarrel with his pregnant wife. He looked to Sakura for help, and she pitied him enough to give it. Ino was snappy enough without having hormones messing up her entire system, so Sakura could imagine that Shikamaru must have been going through hell the past months, but yet he had stuck close to his wife like a particularly persistent burr on a Shetland pony. It was such a very sweet thing to do.

Her lips twitched, and she looked at the Nara male and nodded her head slightly.

"Maybe you should listen to Ino for once, Shikamaru," Sakura advised. "You can trust me; I will take good care of her in your absence. You have some security details to see to, I believe."

Ino nodded quickly in agreement.

"Go, Shika! I will wait for you in the tower." Ino tried to convince him. "You act as if I'm going to pop soon."

"But you do look like it," Kusabana quipped. Sakura resisted the urge to sigh at her son's lack of tact.

"Shishou will be at the tower too, Shikamaru." She chose to reassure that Nara instead.

Shikamaru nodded at last, and pleased by his agreement, his wife leant over to give him an affectionate peck on his lips. The poor man promptly turned pink, but before Ino could retreat, he hauled his beautifully pregnant wife over to him and gave her a gruff hug. "Don't try to do anything extreme," he muttered.

Ino scoffed. All she was probably going to do when she reached the tower was claim the Hokage's reception couch for her lonesome and beach there for the rest of the ceremony. "Alright," she agreed at last, "I will control my overwhelming urge to walk down the tower's wall in my underwear."

Predictably, her husband was not amused.

"Maybe I shouldn't leave-" he started to say, but his mate cut him off before he could finish.

"No! I will be good, I promise!" Ino spoke swiftly. "Just go, or I'm never going to talk to you again."

Shikamaru really didn't think that his wife possessed enough control to not talk at all, but at last, he released her and nodded once more at an amused Sakura and her sons. "I will see you later."

Then, he flashed through a few hand seals and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, no doubt to accomplish his duty as quickly as possible so as to return to his expectant wife as speedily as he could.

Ino looked at her friend gratefully.

"Thanks, forehead." The blonde never did manage to rid herself of the tendency to call her friend by that particular childhood nickname. Sakura merely quirked a small smile, and the group of four continued towards the tower once more. "I never thought that I would actually get rid of him."

"He loves you very much, Ino."

Sakura could still remember a particular incident nearly two years ago, during the war. Ino and Shikamaru were not yet married then and her friend's information gathering team had been discovered and quickly overpowered by the Kumo-nin in a surprise attack. Ino had been inches near Death's door when her desperate teammates had brought her to Sakura for help. On the other hand, Shikamaru had just arrived at Suna to aid in controlling the waves of persistent Iwa-nin at that time, and he was simply unable to leave right away when news of Ino's fatal injuries reached him. It had been said to the Nara that she probably would not survive her wounds, and initially thought to be distraught by the news; he had asked to be left alone for awhile. Imagine everyone's surprise when the Nara reappeared half an hour later with a detailed strategy written on several pieces of paper which he proceeded to shove at Kankurou before taking off at full speed out of Suna and non stop towards Nami no Kuni. He reached Sakura's cottage in less than a week's time and nearly half dead from his efforts, but Ino survived her injuries and that reward itself was all he needed.

Sand decided to throw caution to the wind and follow what would soon become the infamous '30 minutes' plan that Shikamaru had proposed. It should be no surprise that it succeeded well beyond their imaginations. In the end, the Nara's name was boosted into several Bingo Books as well, much to his exasperation and proclamation of how even more 'troublesome' it was going to be for him from now on.

Ino sighed.

"I know," she admitted, as they neared the tower. "I love him too, that stupid man."

Sakura smirked slightly.

"Then you should show him, instead of yell at him all the time."

Ino merely shrugged, ducking into the tower's entrance as they finally arrived. There, she took her first good look at her friend, and then her eyes widened slightly at her own realization. Before she could say a word however, she was interrupted by a joyous yell.

"Sakura-chan!!"

Kusabana's eyes widened at the thundering mass of billowing white robes and blonde hair as it careened towards them at an astounding speed. Ino squeaked as Naruto appeared to literally leap over with joy, not considering, at all, the women's conditions.

Kurohyou jumped quickly in front of his mother and Ino-san. "Naruto jii-chan!" the normally composed boy cautioned in a near shout. "Please be careful!"

At that, Naruto skidded to a reluctant halt before the young boy. He smiled first at Kuro and then at Kusa. Behind him trailed his fiancée and exasperated predecessor.

"Naruto, you idiot!!" Ino screeched at the irresponsible Hokage-to-be. "You nearly scared me to death barreling over like that!"

The blonde Jinchuuriki grinned infectiously at the huffing female. "Aa, sorry, Ino. I didn't see you there."

Poor Ino looked like she was about to explode with anger. "What do you mean that you didn't see me?" she demanded, "I'm as big as a house now!"

But Naruto was no longer paying attention to Ino's annoyance. The tall, lanky blonde squinted at his heart's sister.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto muttered as he looked her up and down. At the same time, Tsunade and Hinata arrived to stop by Naruto. Like Naruto, they too noticed the tiny bump on Sakura's belly. She was radiant as ever, her features glowing with health and her body well rounded and slowly adjusting to her developing pregnancy. Hinata's pale eyes widened slightly, whereas Tsunade's amber orbs narrowed. Sakura merely waited for them to pass their verdict.

Naruto was the first to speak.

"…you look…fat."

Kusabana could not help himself. He snorted. Before his godfather could take affront to that, however, Tsunade easily smacked him upside the head. Naruto yowled in surprise.

"Ouch! What was that for, baa-chan!!"

Tsunade ignored him. She looked at her disciple instead.

"How many weeks along are you?"

Sakura laid a hand on her barely swelling tummy, a gentle look of soft radiance lighting up her face. "Eighteen weeks now."

"Everything healthy?" Tsunade pressed, much to Naruto's increasing bewilderment.

Sakura nodded.

"What are all of you talking about?" the blonde asked at last. Ino looked at him like he was stupid.

Kusabana concurred privately. Naruto jii-chan may be an excellent warrior in the battlefield, but he was utterly clueless when it came to everything else.

Tsunade turned to look at her successor. She sighed loudly. As much as she wanted to ask Sakura right away just who the father was, she already had her own suspicions. After all, they had never recovered Uchiha Itachi's body, and Sakura had never indicated a romantic interest in anyone else before.

"Can't you see that she's pregnant?"

Naruto could not believe his ears.

"Huh?! _Pregnant_?!" he asked in disbelief. "But how is that possible?"

Tsunade was definitely not amused by that question, and Hinata blushed. That made Naruto blush too, but he quickly frowned to show that he was being serious.

"Sakura-chan! You never told us that there was another man!" Naruto accused immediately.

Kurohyou shook his head immediately. "But there was no other man, Naruto jii-chan."

Naruto's frowned intensified.

"Then do you mean to tell me that Sakura-chan got herself pregnant?"

This time Kusabana answered with a charming grin.

"No," the younger boy piped out, "That would be my Otou-san's job."

* * *

The celebrations commemorating Konoha's newest Hokage went on for three days and three nights. The streets were filled with merrymaking civilians and nin alike, and there were fireworks every night and free food and drinks were offered by restaurants throughout the village for the duration of the celebrations.

Needless to say, the appointment went smoothly, although a small ways before the ceremony the Godaime had to slap her successor awake after he fainted from the bombshell that his sworn sister had dropped on him. Before he could create an outburst regarding Sakura and her pregnancy, he was promptly ushered to the top of the tower, where was he was received by the roar of the entire village as they waited on the streets below for their new Hokage. The formal procedure went off without a hitch, for Naruto was still too dazed to do or say anything too outrageous on his first day in the office.

Of course, it was a different scenario by the time the ceremony was over. Then, there was the anticipated discussion/one-sided yelling match of 'just what the hell is going on here', 'how could this happen', 'didn't he die years ago', and last but not least, the desperate 'but you already have two brats by him already'.

Thankfully, Tsunade was on hand to calm him down. After another painful thump that had poor Hinata hovering anxiously around her previously near catatonic but now disturbingly comatose fiancé, the older blonde had sighed and admitted that she, together with Jiraiya and Kakashi, had suspected that the elder Uchiha was alive for quite sometime now. The fact that Sakura had refused to return to Konoha had merely further cemented their speculations, but they hadn't been able to investigate the matter further and at last had chosen not to interfere with what was going on. After all, they had another war on hand to deal with, and thus, the threat that was Uchiha Itachi was dismissed, and his name was struck off the Bingo Books due to his 'deceased' status.

Unexpectedly, their decision paid off. Tsunade could not be sure of the nukenin's involvement, but during the war, Nami no Kuni was one of the few areas around Leaf's border that had not been affected or taken over by enemy troops, as unbelievable as it seemed. Thus, the nin of Leaf and its allies had been able to take temporary refuge and at the same time receive medical attention without returning all the way back to Konohagakure, which was located right in the midst of the vast Fire Country, and as a result, many lives had been saved in the process. That was reason enough, Tsunade declared grudgingly as she looked at her surprised student, for Konoha to overlook the existence of Uchiha Itachi. His name would not be re-listed into their Bingo Book, because dead people were not threats to Fire Country, even though they were all well aware that it was probably going to be a well known secret, eventually, that the elder Uchiha was only as dead as his lover was.

It was apparent from the Godaime's tone that, like Naruto, she didn't approve of Sakura's relationship with the nukenin Uchiha, but she would tolerate it because of her student's genuine affections towards the S-class criminal, as well as the fact that her devotion appeared to be somewhat reciprocated. After all, the Uchiha had returned to Sakura in the end and had even stayed around to protect Nami no Kuni, not to mention impregnate the beautiful female for the second time, as evidenced by the kunoichi's now four and a half month pregnant form. Even the twins appeared completely at ease at the mention of their father, and it only revealed to Tsunade that the Uchiha had been around her apprentice's small family for quite some time already.

Naruto was understandably not pleased, however. He even dragged in the mention of Sasuke, of how the only Uchiha living in Konoha was definitely going to go on a rampage if he ever found out that his hated brother was evidently still among the living and happily going about his way being fruitful and multiplying with their Sakura-chan.

The younger Uchiha in question was not in Konoha at the moment. He was currently in Kumo and had gotten engaged mere months ago, but unlike Naruto's betrothal to Hinata, it hadn't been a love match. In an effort for the war with Konoha to end on more peaceful terms, the Raikage had proposed a marriage contract that would link the two villages together, and not surprisingly, he had requested for one of the clans with doujutsu abilities, completely determined to be at least related to one of the powerful bloodlines, since Cloud could not get their hands on it. Understandably, the Hyuuga clan was not at all keen to be related to the Kumo-nin, having never forgotten about the disastrous kidnapping attempt that had resulted in the death of the twin brother of the current clan patriarch. In the end, the duty to the country fell onto the shoulders of the last survivor of the Uchiha clan, and Sasuke had agreed to wed the Raikage's youngest daughter, a rather powerful kunoichi of her own right whom he had met seven years ago during a certain diplomatic exchange mission.

And so Sasuke was now over in Kumo, negotiating the terms of marriage with some of Leaf's village councilors and generally just following official protocols of both countries. He was supposed to return in time for Naruto's inauguration to Kagehood yesterday, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he was delayed and would not be able to return until a week later.

Nevertheless, Naruto was convinced that Sasuke would definitely drop everything over at Cloud to return straight away if he ever learned of what was going on here, not that Naruto would be the one to tell his teammate, of course. The blonde had no wish to cause more trouble for Sakura-chan as it was, though he felt that he was not being loyal to his other friend by not saying anything at all.

Then, Sakura admitted that their Uchiha teammate was well aware that his brother was very much alive, much to everyone's shock. Deep down inside, Sasuke knew that his brother had not died in their battle; the fight itself had felt off and Itachi hadn't displayed the usual amount of concentrated killing intent that he always had whenever they clashed. That didn't mean their combat wasn't genuine. At long last, Sasuke was on even ground with his brother, and every single misstep from the younger male, his older brother had not hesitated in pushing his advantage, and there was no doubt that Itachi would have killed Sasuke had he dared let his guard drop for even a mere second.

The fight had been long and brutal to both brothers, and at last, it had ended in a draw. Sasuke had known better than to think that he had actually won against his prodigious brother, and he was well aware that a draw was probably as far as he was going to get to avenging his clan. Itachi was just too strong, and Sasuke was getting so very tired of it all. He had spent his entire life chasing after his brother, and worst of all, he had gotten nowhere near defeating him in the entire process.

Besides, Sakura knew deep down that Sasuke would never be able to go after Itachi with absolute killing intent now that he had seen and gotten to know his nephews. No matter how hard Sasuke tried to kill off that part of himself, her teammate had known better than most the anguished feeling of having lost parents and family. Sakura dare not claim to know Sasuke very well, but she knew enough about the troubled man to assume that he was probably too conflicted to attempt to instigate another death match with his brother now.

And so, the saga between the two Uchiha brothers would end—for now.

Sakura said nothing about her own opinions of course, not to mention the younger Uchiha's meltdown that day four years ago as well; instead, she chose to give some vague reason about how Sasuke had probably decided that it was well past time to quit hunting down his brother and to start repopulating his clan before it was too late. Nobody looked like they were convinced, but after three days of badgering from Naruto and still she had refused to budge regarding the topic of her lover and how she should move back to Konoha ASAP, her blonde fox brother was about ready to give up. Kakashi and Tsunade had long since let up on the kunoichi regarding the matter of her complicated relationship with Uchiha Itachi, the silver-haired male confident that his student would know which was the better choice for her self and her children, the busty blonde only concerned about her student's health and lack of proper medical care in Nami when she finally gives birth a few months down the road.

Sakura had managed to assure most of her concerned friends that she would be alright and had been quite alright living over at Nami no Kuni for the past seven years, but of course, Naruto was the last to be convinced. Resigned, she had put up with Naruto's well intended naggings up until it was time for her and her family to leave Konoha again. The children were not included in any of those conversations; they were always sent on their way before Naruto jii-chan could start to hassle their poor expectant mother.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto muttered as he stood by the village's gate in his new Hokage regalia. The pointed hat of Fire was nowhere to be seen, and there was only Naruto, her sons, and herself. Everyone else had already said their goodbyes, and Naruto had wanted this last moment with his heart's sister to himself.

"Sakura-chan…" The tall, lanky blonde muttered in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to dissuade the pregnant kunoichi. "You don't really have to return to Nami no Kuni, you know."

Sakura quirked a brow and merely glanced at her sons, both of whom were already a small ways outside of the village's gates. Kusabana was grinning at something his brother was saying, and as he retorted back, the look on Kurohyou's face indicated that the older boy wasn't at all amused by his otouto's comments. The twins were eager to finally return home after their brief stay in Leaf, and their exuberance showed. To be honest, she missed her mate too. For all his cold nature and seemingly apathetic character, he was always so gentle when it came to her, and he was even more so now that she was carrying again.

Sakura turned her attention back to her blonde best friend. Her eyes softened immediately as she looked at him. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto." She spoke with a genuine smile. "Have I told you that?"

Naruto appeared abashed for a brief moment, and then he scowled slightly. "Don't change the subject." He glared at his best friend. "I want you to stay here, Sakura-chan. The boys are going to have to return here a few years down the road to take the Genin exams, so you don't really have to leave. This is your home."

His heart's sister merely gave him a larger smile, and at the same time, she laid a hand over her barely swelling belly. She looked so serene and peaceful at that moment that Naruto's heart ached at the beautiful sight. "Naruto… he is waiting for me," she admitted, her gaze open and guileless as she discussed all over again the very topic that they had been arguing about for the past days. "My home is where he is."

The blonde frowned. "But what if he hurts you or the boys?" he burst out at last, finally revealing his greatest worry. "I'm the Rokudaime now; it's going to be a lot harder for me to get out of the village from now on. What if you are in trouble? You will be so far away and I won't-"

It was apparent that Naruto was turning green around the gills just imagining all the horrible things that could happen. Sakura merely shook her head and did something that she hadn't done for nearly a decade. She leant forward and flicked her sworn brother affectionately on the nose. He looked at her in surprise.

"Baka," she retorted softly. "If Itachi wanted to kill me he would have done so a long time ago." Her gaze was gentle and filled with such faith that Naruto could not help but believe in her judgment. "I trust him."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto's gaze was helpless. Then he looked at her, really looked at her, and he slumped in defeat. "…at the moment, you are happy, aren't you?"

She nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Naruto's sapphire gaze looked straight into her own artificial blue ones.

"But you will be a lot happier with him."

It wasn't a question, and there was no reason to lie to her fox brother, her best friend. She nodded again.

"Yes."

Poor Naruto drooped further. "You really love him, don't you?"

Sakura could not help but smile shakily at the sad look on the blonde's face. "Naruto…don't act as if you will never see me again… Please."

Naruto quickly realized that he was upsetting the petite female. He looked pretty upset himself, but with visible effort, he pulled himself together. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," he whispered, voice rough as he pulled her into a tight hug. "What am I thinking, making such a beautiful, pregnant mama sad?"

It was obvious that her decision was really hurting Naruto, and a small strangled whimper of distress escaped her involuntarily as she clutched onto her heart's brother.

"Naruto… I'm sorry," she apologized softly, "_I'm sorry_."

In response, Naruto merely gripped onto her tightly for a brief moment, before loosening his hold again.

"Don't be stupid, Sakura-chan." He pushed aside his sadness away forcefully and smiled his foxy grin, albeit a rather watery one. "I just want you to be happy."

Sakura nodded forcefully. "I'm happy," she whispered fiercely.

Naruto's face softened. He loved his heart's sister so, so much.

"Then, I will be happy for you, too."

* * *

The journey back to Nami no Kuni took five days to accomplish.

Sakura had no intention of compromising the baby growing within her in any way, and therefore, she opted to travel in a standard manner—walking. Rest stops were frequent but her boys did not complain. Their mother was pregnant with another sibling, after all, and even now, two months after their Kaa-san broke the news to them, they were still awed and fascinated by her slowly expanding belly as well as the notion that there would soon be a baby emerging from within her womb. That made the boys even more protective of their mother, and Kusabana loved nothing more than to speculate just whether the newborn would be a girl or a boy.

The younger twin hoped that it would be a younger brother for him to plot pranks and roughhouse with, since his current aniki was usually such a spoilsport and a mommy's boy. Kurohyou, like Sakura, wished that this little one would come out a girl. Poor Kaa-san seemed to be overwhelmed by all the males coming in and out of the house all the time, and having a little sister to protect didn't seem too bad, according to the older twin.

To Sakura's inward relief, both boys appeared glad that they would soon have another sibling in less than half a year, and they were currently being very considerate towards their mother's lack of tolerance towards the smell of certain food, not to mention the fact that she was now unable to move as quickly as she used to. They trailed after her obediently, making use of the extra time they had and diligently doing some chakra exercises and practicing their hand seals. They had not been allowed to train at all during their three day's stay in Konoha and they knew that they were lacking behind in terms of training, which had to be made up for during their travel back to Nami or their Otou-san and Kisame-sensei were going to be kicking their backsides from one end of Wave country to the other when they returned home.

Their mother had explained on their first trip to Konoha that she had no wish for anyone to see that they had already successfully activated their Sharingan, and that they had now, at the age of seven, already evolved their doujutsu ability to the second stage. Their genius and training since age three had to be concealed, and although Kusabana didn't really understand why they had to hide the fact that they were actually quite (very) smart, Kurohyou had an idea that their Kaa-san just did not want them to be ostracized by the village any more than they already were. After all, their father had been quite the prodigy too, and Konoha was very wary of any child geniuses, especially those coming from the Uchiha clan.

The boys were aware that their mother was trying to protect them, so they heeded her warnings to only reveal their true abilities when in grave danger or left to no other choice. Besides, playing the idiot did yield its share of amusement, and their father's cryptic remark crept to mind: Secrecy is a ninja's greatest weapon. And he was right. There was no reason to show off and get killed in the process; it was always better to be underestimated than to be overestimated. If anything else, it had been demonstrated to them by their parents and sensei, repeatedly, that they were still decades away from being good enough to even attempt to show off; having parents and instructors of S-class caliber sure was an excellent way to keep oneself constantly humbled.

Sakura was left mostly content to watch her sons as they trained and interacted with each other, and as much as it warmed her heart to see her children so close to each other, she could not help but wonder what Itachi and Kisame were up to at the moment. The Kiri nukenin and her lover had left again on one of their assignments a week before their own departure to Konoha and probably wouldn't be back until a few days after the return of herself and her boys. The kunoichi tried not to worry about the duo; for the past four years they had been successfully tracking and bringing down S-class missing-nin for a living and whilst they had returned injured before, their wounds had never escalated to the point of near fatal. She had to admit that they formed a formidable team together, but still, she could not help but fret for their safety sometimes.

Despite the recent war, life had been good to them. They were all together still; they lived comfortably, albeit somewhat obscurely, from the rest of the shinobi world, but life was good. Sakura could not help but worry sometimes that something might happen to take her happiness away, but then she would always tell herself to have faith and trust in her mate.

After all, he had never failed to return to her yet.

"Kaa-san, do you need to rest?"

It was Kurohyou.

Kusabana was a short distance ahead, but he too had stopped to access his mother's condition. They had finally arrived in Nami, stepping foot on the famous Naruto Bridge, and by now Sakura was almost drooping with exhaustion. Despite the constant breaks and nightly stays in reputable inns, Sakura was not sleeping well in transit and wanted nothing more than to return home quickly, where she could enjoy a better rest.

She shook her head immediately, eager to return home even though she was aware that Itachi wouldn't be back yet.

"We will reach home soon; let's just keep going." She maintained a positive façade as she urged the children on. Changing the topic, she asked, "Have you mastered the Goukakyuu no Jutsu already?"

Kusabana bounded back towards his mother and brother. "Kaa-san, we mastered that when we were five! Did you forget?"

Sakura merely shook her head again. Of course she remembered that fateful day.

Nobody had expected that the twins would be able to puff out anything, when taught the sequence of hand seals for that particular jutsu that would mark them true Uchiha if they could execute it. Nobody except for their father, that is. Itachi had that strange, calm look in his eyes when he had told the boys to pay close attention as he showed to them once the six seals for the Grand Fireball jutsu. Then, he had left them alone to practice for the rest of the day. Early next morning, the children had surprised the adults by successfully performing the jutsu and each summoning a rather decent-sized fireball that had impressed their Kisame-sensei and worried their mother into hurrying over to them to make sure that they hadn't accidentally scorched their throats.

Itachi had looked at his sons with such quiet approval that the boys had swelled with pride. It was also from then on that Itachi had taken a more active interest in the twins' training.

"No," Sakura corrected. "You _learned_ the technique when you were five. To master implies that one has attained great skill-"

"-in the use or application of anything," the boys chorused as they finished the sentence for their mother. Despite her increasing fatigue, Sakura's lips twitched slightly in amusement.

"Kaa-san, we read the dictionary too," Kusabana added, and then he amended reluctantly, "I think we have mastered the Goukakyuu reasonably enough to pass Otou-san's test when he comes back."

Kurohyou nodded in agreement. Their hand seal speed had increased, and they could easily perform the Goukakyuu no Jutsu at least six times before they ran out of chakra. "Do you think Otou-san would teach us some Genjutsu after this?"

Sakura suppressed a small yawn of exhaustion, and then she glanced down at her sons. "That would depend on your performance, don't you…think?"

The kunoichi paused slightly as she sensed an unmistakable presence just a ways ahead of them. She looked up immediately, and her eyes lightened with quiet surprise.

He was back.

And sure enough, there was Itachi, standing at the other end of the bridge, still as a statue as he regarded her with those unreadable eyes. He was dressed entirely in unrelieved black, and his crimson gaze glowed in the misty backdrops of Nami.

The boys followed their mother's line of sight to see what had caught her attention so. Their expressions brightened immediately at the sight of their father. "Otou-san!"

Packs bouncing merrily on their backs, they hurried down the last length of the bridge and to their other parent. Sakura followed at a more sedate pace, watching as Itachi accepted the children's greetings before calmly informing them to look for Kisame, who was in the village's local tavern at the moment. The boys obeyed immediately, eager to see their other sensei to fill him in about their stay in Konoha and not at all fatigued by their travel back home from Leaf. Sakura was most envious of their boundless energy, and she watched as they raced each other down the road.

Then, her lover's dark head rose up as he shifted his attention away from the swiftly departing twins and towards her, and their eyes met. She came to a stop a short distance away from him and gave him a swift once over. His leanly muscled form was subtly emphasized by the crisp cut of his attire, highlighting long, powerful legs and narrow hips, broad shoulders, and a sleekly delineated torso. At the age of thirty-four, his appearance hadn't changed much, save for the streaks of premature white hair that stood out most prominently from among his head of raven black, and even those made him look haughtily aristocratic, detracting not at from his natural good looks.

It was common for her to look him over for injuries each time he returned to her; thankfully, he didn't appear hurt anywhere this time around and she relaxed visibly.

He started slowly towards her then, his crimson gaze quietly watchful of her small, pregnant form as he drew to a stop by her side. Soundlessly, he relieved her of her satchel and she allowed him to do so.

"I thought you were still out on an assignment." She spoke at last, her tiredness leaking through her voice despite her best efforts to keep it concealed.

He glanced at her, not failing to take note of her apparent exhaustion. "It is completed," he answered eventually, his lilting voice calm and soothing to her senses. He urged her to walk, and she did so sluggishly, until he subtly lent her the support of his lithely muscular form. She didn't need to be told twice, and leaned against him thankfully, suppressing yet another yawn as she did so. Truly, she had forgotten just how hellish the first trimester of her previous pregnancy had been until she was expecting again recently. She was always so sleepy and nauseous and could never seem to keep food down. In fact, her first pregnancy had seemed so much smoother compared to this one but that was probably because she had been feeling so miserable back then, and hadn't had the heart to take note of her body's discomfort.

But now was different, and belatedly, Sakura decided that it was a good thing Itachi was around to accompany her through this second pregnancy. Having his silent, unwavering support was something she was utterly grateful for and suddenly, Sakura was completely looking forward to returning home and dozing the rest of today away like a lazy cat, with her lover curled protectively around her as she slept contentedly, luxuriating in his warmth and comforting scent. Just the thought of it made her sigh softly, and engrossed in her musings, the petite female didn't protest when one of Itachi's hands came up over her torso and started to rove almost carefully over her gently rounded body, silently checking and inspecting her health condition for his own assurance.

It was clear that she wasn't the only one who would look over her other half anxiously to ensure her mate's wellbeing; he did so too, and his actions spoke so much more loudly than words ever could, and she had learnt to decipher what each and every one of his behavior meant.

"…I missed you." She sighed again unabashedly as he continued to apply those elegant, talented fingers of his on her tired and aching body. His ruby, almost hypnotic gaze locked onto hers for a brief moment, and then he nodded imperceptibly, easily accepting her soft, genuine remark for what it was. It had taken him awhile to learn to accept her words at face value and to not attempt to suspect that she was saying those words just to gain something from him. She had never been one to hide her emotions, and throughout the past four years she had given him her affections so freely that he had grown accustomed to her open, guileless confessions of love and care. It was her way of letting him know of her unceasing devotion to him, and even though he could have told her that her constant declarations were not needed because he could easily read her affection for him in every line of her body language, he made no attempt to change her habit.

He was content, with the way that she was.

As was she.

Unlike her, she knew that he would never declare his affection verbally, but fortunately enough, she understood. What he would never say he never failed to show to her in the privacy of their bedroom, his touch achingly tender, his normally guarded gaze gentle and watchful whenever he looked at her. For that alone, Sakura was content.

Turning her head slightly towards him, she stretched upwards a little and nuzzled the graceful line of his jawbone gently. He was never one to initiate such openly affectionate behaviors in public, but then again, like always, he made no effort to remove himself from her, and she smiled softly as she leant a little more against him.

Yes, she was definitely content with her lot in life.

There would be no telling, of course, just what would happen tomorrow or the day after, but here and now, her little family was together, her friends and loved ones were safe and sound, and the smile on her face showed her simple joy, the quiet happiness shining from her expressive eyes as she looked at her mate with genuine peace.

"Let's go home."

* * *

_I hear the wind call your name  
It calls me back home again  
It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns  
Oh it's to you I'll always return  
I still feel your breath on my skin  
I hear your voice deep within  
The sound of my lover - a feeling so strong  
It's to you - I'll always belong_

_Now I know it's true  
My every road leads to you  
And in the hour of darkness darlin'  
Your light gets me through_

_Wanna swim in your river - be warmed by your sun  
Bathe in your waters - cos you are the one  
I can't stand the distance - I can't dream alone  
I can't wait to see you - Ya I'm on my way home_

_Oh I hear the wind call your name  
The sound that leads me home again  
It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns  
Oh, it's to you - I will always return_

—Lyrics from I Will Always Return, by Bryan Adams

_

* * *

_

:owari:

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

And there we go.

The. End.

You have no idea how long I have been waiting to say that. Well, not that I didn't enjoy the process of writing Curtain Call (all the painstaking, writer's block-ish, finger-tapping-antsy-like-I-want-to-pee-but-not-really moments included) but there's really such a great feeling of accomplishment to know that I have finally completed an epic fic (one down, four more to go) from the FF Net fandom.

Still, sheer giddiness aside, I would like to inform any interested parties that there will probably be no more sequels, at least not the long ones anyway, anywhere in sight for the CC-verse. There may be a few drabbles here and there, and I will see what I can do to put them up on FF Net.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I don't expect to be able to please everyone with my fic, but I do hope that majority of readers did not find CC a complete waste of time. As a reviewer had so aptly put it; while this may not be the ideal happily-ever-after for Itachi and Sakura, it is still their version of a happily-ever-after.

At least, it's one that I can think of without all the characters being too overly OOC (which I have to apologize for, again!).

**xXxXxXxXxX**

It's mostly a lot of tying up of loose ends in this epilogue chapter, mostly of Konoha's reaction to Sakura and her offspring, as well as various character interactions not completely limited to only the relationship between Itachi, Sakura and their children. I'm definitely a sucker for Ino and Shikamaru, obviously, and I hope that the lightheartedness of the reunion managed to offset some of the more somber topics like those involving Sasuke, as well as Konoha's less-than-genial reception towards the Uchiha twins. Unlike their uncle, Kusa and Kuro aren't going to have everything handed to them on a silver platter; they are going to have to work their asses off for what they want, and that's just going to make them even better shinobi.

And obviously, Sakura is expecting again!!

There had been quite a number of reviewers who had indicated (overwhelming) interest in seeing more additions to the Uchiha family, and so, as a partial concession, Sakura is four and a half months along after the four years timeskip, which I feel is time enough for Sakura to conceive again, realistically speaking. After all, as fun and amusing as the notion of a bewildered Itachi looking after a houseful of little Uchiha brats while wondering at the same time how _that_ had happened, just think of how much backbreaking work poor Sakura would have to accomplish alone when her lover and his partner are off on missions!!

Last but not least, the gender of the baby would be for me to know and for you people to guess…for now. )

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As most of you have realized by now, Itachi and Sakura are not formally married, nor are they likely to do so in the future. After all, Itachi is supposedly dead, and dead people can't get hitched, can they? For safety reasons, Itachi would have to assume a false name if they really were to register their marriage and that sort of defeats the entire purpose. Besides, Itachi isn't really too keen on advertising his weaknesses to the world, and Sakura and the children have received enough negative attention from Konoha as it is.

After all, what's a marriage certificate, compared to the unspoken devotion that the couple obviously shares for each other? It's just a piece of paper, proclaiming what everyone already knows, anyway.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Some readers had mentioned in their reviews about how upsetting it was that Kusabana was being punished for just a little bit of sass. Well, just a little bit of sass is going to develop into a whole lot of attitude if left unchecked, and I don't know much about families of other races, but Asian parents tend not to tolerate much disrespect from their children, even if they have to smack it out of their kids themselves. In that manner of regard, little Kusabana actually got off lightly; Sakura was too softhearted to be properly strict all the time and Itachi has no experience whatsoever disciplining his wayward son, and so all Kusa got was a good scare that he won't be forgetting for a long time to come.

Good old Kisame, to the rescue!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I think that's all the answers that I can think up of, at the moment. Once again, thank you all for remaining with me for the entirety of Curtain Call. I'm most grateful for all your unwavering support and kinds reviews.

Until the next time!!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.

--paws


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